Magdalena
by Nice Hayley
Summary: The junior class of the Mission Academy go on a field trip to the San Juan Capistrano Mission, in order to celebrate "junior unity". A particularly tough ghost leaves Suze to seek the help of her classmates. Ch9 FINALLY!
1. Sweet Goodbye

****

A/N: As the wise Jedi-Master Yoda said, "Do or do not, there is no try." So I use those words to tell you that I'm not _trying_ this plot this time. I'm going to actually _do_ it. No more of that 3 chapters and then flop out thing that I've done in the past. This shall be a full-blown fan-fic. If I could finish Haunter, then I can finish this! YEAH! Okay, now I'm totally pumped!

****

Disclaimer: At the beginning of every fan-fic comes not a foreword, not even a small preface. Nope, before every fan-fic comes the disclaimer, repudiating responsibility of the creation of characters and plot line alike. In English, _Sorry folks, but how many times do I have to tell you that I don't own this! Meg Cabot is the sole owner of Jesse, Suze, Paul, Father Dom and every other character in the junior class of the Junipero Serra Mission Academy!_ Thank you.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

__

Junior Class Sister Mission Trip Itinerary:

We will be taking a deluxe motorcoach to the heart of lovely Orange County, California, home of the San Juan Capistrano Mission. Departure time will be promptly at 8:30 am, so be ON TIME! The goal of this trip is to unify the junior class while at the same time, teaching about other Missions founded by Father Serra.

"Sounds _intriguing_," Jesse said, hovering above my shoulder and startling me. Once I regained my composure, I threw him a sweet smile. Half the time I didn't know if Jesse was being sarcastic or if he really meant the things he said. Usually it didn't bug me too much mostly because I was too busy ogling at his sizzling Latino hotness to care. You know the type, deep brown eyes that almost look black, longish jet-black hair, slightly tanned skin, complete with a totally killer bod. Oh, and did I mention that glowing aura of his that calls attention to him. Like a strong magnet attracts bits of metal, such is the allure of that kind of hottie. I could go on and on about his…perfection. But I'll spare you…(for now!)

"More like _educational_," I replied with a hint of sarcasm. Jesse laughed and sighed, "Oh, _querida_. It is not a crime to learn something useful every once in a while." 

There we go again. He called me _querida_! HE called ME _querida_! Granted, he called me that oh…about everyday, but I can't help it. The way the word rolled off of his tongue, slightly caressed by a Spanish accent…

Don't lose your cool, Simon. Just because your dream guy, and quite possibly the love of your life, plants another (ANOTHER!!!!!) electrifying kiss on you in the Mission's graveyard does _not_ mean you can all of a sudden melt into a puddle of goo every time you see him (grand total of spine-tingling-Jesse-kisses: 2). Stay calm, stay calm.

"I just wanted to tell you that…you presence will be greatly missed at the Mission. And…I wanted to…wish you a safe trip and an even safer return," Jesse stumbled. I frowned a bit in disappointment.

Just then Jesse knelt down so he was eye-level with me. I was sitting on my bay window, which was opened to let in the morning breeze. The wind gently played on Jesse's hair, making it dance ever so slightly. He took my hand in his own and smiled his oh-so-sexy smile.

"What I meant to say was…I will miss you, Susannah. And…"

"And?" I urged him, with a hopeful expression. And…you don't think you can survive without me? You'll miss seeing my radiant face every morning? You…love me?

"…Please don't do anything stupid."

Uh, that wasn't quite the answer I was looking for. I quickly snatched my hand away from his and stood up. "I wasn't planning on it, _Jesse_. You don't have to worry about me."

"I'm sorry, Susannah, it's just that…well Father Dominic won't be there," Jesse said as he got back on his feet and stepped closer to me. "I don't need Father Dom to keep me out of harm's way," I said confidently. It was Jesse's turn to frown. "Jesse, you really don't need to worry. I'll be fine," I tried to assure him.

"Susannah…"

"There'll be tons of adult supervision. You know how Mr. Walden is, Jesse. He'd never let anything happen."

"Susannah…"

"And plus Father Dom gave me some contact numbers, so if there is any…you know, ghostly business, then I can give him a ring."

"Susannah!" Jesse yelled, "Will you listen to me for two seconds?"

"Oh, sorry Jesse," I said sheepishly, my face turning a maroonish color.

"It's just…is…is _he _going to be there?" Jesse asked as he drove one of his large hands through his jet-black hair.

I knew who _he_ was without having him elaborate any further.

"Jesse," I said his name soothingly. He was beating himself up over it. I thought it was sweet in a sick-and-twisted sort of way.

"I'm serious, Susannah. He's dangerous. You know I don't trust him one bit. He might try to hurt you," Jesse said in a protective voice. I could see in his eyes that he was truly concerned…for _me_.

"I know Jesse. You don't have to worry this time. Because Paul Slater isn't going on the trip." Thank God for that! Of course, it wasn't God that prevented Paul from being able to go…it was more like the administration of the Mission Academy.

Jesse's face was still plastered with worry. I let out a sigh of annoyance. Why can't he trust me? I mean, despite the fact that I've lied to him about so many things. But this one time, I really wasn't lying.

"He's still serving hard-time in D-hall," I explained. Jesse raised an eyebrow. Oh yeah, he's 150 years old…my bad. "Meaning he's still in trouble for telling off that novice and Kelly. He got, like, two months of detention on top of a week's suspension. There was no way Sister Ernestine would let him go on the trip."

Jesse visibly relaxed. When I first heard from Fr. Dominic, I was pretty relieved too. I felt like a load was taken off my back, and suddenly I was free again. Free to have fun like a normal sixteen-year old girl. Without having to worry about strange powers and Shadowland. I felt I could spread my wings and soar with the birds!

But I couldn't hide forever. Paul would be back soon enough. He'd hunt me down, and I knew it was only a matter of time.

But I tried not to think about it too much. I mean, I had managed to go a whole week without a Paul encounter, and I even managed to find away to escape him for another week. Just if there was a way to stay on permanent vacation…

"_Querida_, I think you're going to be late," Jesse said softly, breaking me away from my thoughts. "SHOOT!" I yelled as I saw that the time was fifteen till 8:30. I grabbed my baggage, which weighed so much I could only waddle from place to place. I was in such a hurry when all of my stuff came crashing to the floor, bringing me down too.

Jesse quickly rushed to my side. He looked at me worriedly, which for some reason made me laugh. My laughter only caused Jesse to laugh. So there we were, both of us on the floor surrounded by my heavy luggage, laughing our heads off.

That was the way things always were with Jesse and me. I'd try to do everything by myself, which would become too much for me. I'd fall and crash, but no matter what, Jesse would always be there to help me. And then when all of it was over we'd share a laugh over it. And sometimes we'd even share a kiss…(okay only twice, but a girl can dream)

Both of our chuckles faded softly around the same time. Jesse pushed a stray hair from my face behind my ear.

"Susannah, take care of yourself," he whispered, more to himself than to me.

"I'll miss you, Jesse," I told him.

Jesse gave me his hand and helped me up. We looked into each other's eyes for what seemed like forever. Then I noticed he started inching closer and closer. I relaxed a bit and closed my eye in preparation for another Jesse-kiss. Usually you can't prepare yourself for one of those shockers, but I wanted this kiss to hold me over for a week…

He then planted a gentle kiss on my forehead instead of kissing me on the lips, as I had hoped, and said, "Go now, _querida_, or you'll be late." He dematerialized suddenly, as if to emphasize that I needed to leave right then.

"Fine! I'm going," I told him, even though he wasn't there. I tried to hide the disappointment in my tone, just in case he could hear me.

So much for those farewell French-kisses like in the movies. If only my life were on the silver screen…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

****

A/N: So, how was that? I feel a lot better now about this plot…something nice and comfy. I still have directional issues for now, so maybe one of you cool reviewers could help me out with it? Oh, that would just be lovely! I'm sorry if I don't update as fast as I usually do. I just want this to be perfect. See what fan-fiction has done to me? It's gone and made me a perfectionist! Anyway…you rock for reading this! Please pretty please leave a review (it can be good or it can be bad…I'll even take flames, as long as it gets me reviews…I'm desperate). Bear with me…this is only the first chapter, folks, and I promise it will get better…(I hope). YA'LL ARE THE MOST AWESOME PEOPLE IN THE WORLD!

----------------------\/ Push the purple button!!


	2. The Dark Cloud

"FATHER DOMINIC! _WHAT_ WERE YOU THINKING?" I yelled as I slammed his office door.

Okay, I think this deserves an explanation. I know, yelling at a priest is low…but when they do stupid things, you gotta bring it to their attention.

Okay, rewind button…

All of the members of the junior class at Mission Academy were standing in the assembly yard, awaiting the ever-popular roll call before we boarded the huge bus. I was standing next to CeeCee and Adam, who were chatting casually about something.

"At least we get a week's break from this hell hole," Adam said. "Come on, Adam, it won't be _that_ bad. I mean, we might actually learn something," CeeCee pitched in. "Exactly! Who wants to get out of school to take a trip and then have to _learn_ something?" Adam asked as he folded his arms.

"What do you think, Suze?" CeeCee asked. "Uh…it may be kinda interesting. But if they want to unify the junior class, they need a different strategy," I said, looking around the crowd of faces. Everyone was in a different clump of about 5 people. Except for Adam, CeeCee, and me…we were just the three amigos, on our own. Yeah, that's some real junior unity for you…

"I see what you mean. I'm _totally_ feeling the love," Adam said sarcastically as Kelly Prescott swiped by and nearly pushed him over.

"Well, they tried. And you never know…maybe there'll be a weird bonding moment," CeeCee said, sounding pretty serious. Adam heaved a shudder. "_Bonding_? Gross, I shudder at the thought!" Adam exclaimed, exaggerated disgust on his face.

"That's exactly the attitude that will destroy the goal of this trip, Mr. McTavish," Mr. Walden told Adam as he brushed past us. CeeCee and I looked at each other for a moment and then started laughing.

"Junior class, may I have your attention?" Mr. Walden asked in vain. Everyone went about his or her business, still chatting away. Mr. Walden jumped on one of the picnic tables in the assembly yard and blew a shrill whistle, causing everyone to jump and cover their ears.

"Juniors! Roll call will now begin," he began again, pulling out his list of names. He cleared his throat and started naming names…

"Bradley Ackerman?" Mr. Walden announced.

Everyone started giggling or snickering. Some of the jocks went, "Bradley! WHOOP, WHOOP!" "Right hurr!" Dopey answered with a very unattractive snort that sent him and the rest of his friends in to a fresh peel of laughter. "Real mature, guys," CeeCee said over her shoulder to them.

Mr. Walden rolled his eyes and continued.

I started thinking if it was possible to get a new stepfamily. Well, except I'd keep Doc and Andy, and possibly Sleepy. Doc helped me with my homework and with the researching of my ghostly clients. Although, he just thought I had a weird obsession with history. Andy cooked like a gourmet chef, and he was handy around the house. Plus, he was kind of growing on me a little. I nearly called him 'dad' as I was about to leave for the trip. Now that's a scary thought. Sleepy was never home, because he was too busy "studying" in college. Dopey…he was just useless…and _disgusting_!

"Kelly Prescott."

"Present," Kelly said calmly as she filed her fingernails. She looked a little too dressed up for spending a few hours on a bus. She was wearing a light blue sleeveless turtleneck with bold patterned capris, her blonde hair teased up into a half-up half-down style, complete with a light blue headband. Her robot-followers wore practically the same outfit, but in different colors. I think that's the farthest junior unity ever went. Everyone started chattering as Mr. Walden was trying to find where he left off.

"People! The sooner we get this roll call done, the sooner we can _leave_!" Mr. Walden reminded us. But that never stopped anyone…

"Where was I…I already said Kelly, didn't I?" Mr. Walden asked as he was searching for his spot.

"Oh, here I am…"

"Paul Slater"

"I'm here, Mr. Walden," a familiar voice called. Paul emerged from behind the bus with his luggage cooly, shaking a fallen brown curl from his tennis-tanned face. Debbie Mancuso let out a sigh, only to be elbowed severely by Kelly who was fuming.

No…no way…no _freaking_ way! Paul Slater, here…there had to be a mistake. Oh my God.

"Susannah Simon"

That meant…I was going to have to spend a whole week with Paul Slater…

"Susannah Simon?"

And Father Dominic wasn't going to be there. And neither was Jesse…

"SUSANNAH SIMON! Are you here?"

Why was everyone looking at me? I mean, just because I was the one person most commonly associated with him…

Oh…they weren't looking at me because of Paul…

"Oh, um…here!" I called out sheepishly. I felt pretty small under everyone's gaze. Even Paul was looking at me, with one of his dark brown eyebrows raised slightly. I let out a cautious smile and I took off for the principal's office…

So that brings up back to where we began…

"What in the WORLD possessed you to let _Paul Slater _go on this trip?" I continued yelling.

"Susannah, it was out of my hands," Father Dom replied calmly.

"What do you mean…out of your hands? You're the principal! Can't you, like, veto this kind of thing?" I asked shrilly.

"Sister Ernestine said he seemed very contrite. He even went to reconciliation," Father Dom said, still as calm as ever.

I sat down in the chair and started banging my head on his desk multiple times. "Susannah, stop being childish," Father D chided me. "How can you be so calm about this, Father D?" I asked, looking up at him.

"He sent a letter of apology to the novice and to Miss Prescott, asking of their forgiveness. The novice showed it to Sr. Ernestine, who was shocked at its sincerity. After a short meeting with him, Sr. Ernestine was convinced that Mr. Slater was truly sorry for his actions and decided that he should get to go on the trip. And besides, Susannah, he's new. We couldn't deny him the chance to get to know his fellow classmates better. The week's suspension that he served was punishment enough."

"Are you kidding me?" I asked incredulously.

"No, I'm not. I wish you'd take this more like an adult, Susannah," Father Dom said as he folded his arms on his desk.

How did he expect me to be calm about this? _Paul Slater was going on the trip_. I couldn't escape from him. I should have known this was all too good to be true. What am I going to do?

I sat there, shocked and appalled by Father Dom and his actions. How could he? He knew what Paul did last summer! _Paul Slater_ can't change…he's way too stubborn. Oh, but Father Dom thinks everything is always butterflies and rainbows. Well, Father Dominic, it just isn't!

Is there, like, some sort of dark cloud hanging around me? One that soaks all the fun out of everything, making it all turn for the worst?

That would be a yes. And his name is Paul Slater.

I left Fr. Dom's office without any goodbye. You'd be furious too if the principal whom you practically trusted your life with practically hands your stalker a free pass. Life is so unfair!

I walked back into the assembly yard, getting a few suspicious glares from my classmates. I seemed to be getting a lot more of those lately. Ever since that party…

Wait a minute…why was everyone all paired off?

"So…Adam, CeeCee…what did I miss?" I asked as I scanned the yard.

"Oh, not much…oh, you and I are roomies!" CeeCee said cheerfully. "Awesome!" I exclaimed. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. It would be like a weeklong slumber party. She could even help me find ways to avoid the 'dark cloud' (a.k.a. Paul).

"And we picked buddies," Adam said, "I got dibs on CeeCee."

"Buddies? As in the _buddy system_?" I asked with a laugh. I hadn't used the buddy system since second grade!

"Yup, you're on your own, Simon," CeeCee said.

Ah, well, I let the kids have their fun. They just looked so cute together, linked arm in arm. I smiled and scanned the crowd for a buddy. It seemed that everyone was taken.

"Well, Suze, it looks like we're in the same boat…again," someone said close to my ear. My blood began to boil, even though my heart was seemingly frozen…it was Paul.

"Um, Adam. I think I would feel more comfortable with a partner of the female persuasion," I said, hoping he'd take a hint. "Sorry, Simon, you're out of luck. I already have to room with him…no way am I gonna be his buddy too," Adam told me as he shook his head.

Well, it could have been worse. I could have been Adam.

CeeCee shot me an apologetic look. Yeah, I'm sorry too, Cee. I turned to Paul in defeat.

Now I won't lie to you. If I were lying I'd tell you I would have rather killed myself. Truthfully, I felt like it might be a little fun. Paul was so unpredictable, so much so that it could turn this trip into an adventure. But I wasn't looking for and adventure…I was looking out for not only my well being, but for _Jesse's_.

Paul extended his hand to me. I looked down at it and then looked back up at him. His brown wavy hair fell in his eyes again. I flinched in order to stop myself from brushing it out of his face, which would reveal his bright blue eyes that were hidden behind it. He smiled victoriously, showing all of his pearly white teeth. I bet Rick and Nancy spent a pretty penny on that smile.

"Suze," he said calmly, still smiling, "I don't bite."

I can admit that I did not in any way trust Paul Slater. Not in the least! I knew he was _dangerous_. And if it were at all possible, he looked even more feral at that moment. He was dressed in a black polo shirt that made the muscles in his arms look bigger, along with these black denim jeans that fit him very (and I mean _very_) well. I know a _polo shirt_! How hazardous can a guy be in a _polo shirt_? Let me tell you...you can't judge a book by its cover.

"All right, juniors, now that we all have our buddies we can begin loading the bus," Mr. Walden called out. Everyone packed by the entrance to the bus, making Mr. Walden's statement pretty hard to achieve.

"Single file, guys. SINGLE FILE!!!" Mr. Walden yelled. Some semblance of a line was formed, and the bus was nearly loaded in ten minutes. When it was my turn to get on the bus, I pushed my way in and beat Adam to the aisle seat next to CeeCee. I shot him a sympathetic glance, but Adam just scowled at me and took the seat behind us.

The last person on the bus, obviously in no hurry was Paul. And since Adam was considered a "freak", then the only seat left was the aisle seat next to him. Well, actually Paul was now considered a "freak" too. So Paul winked (at me) and took the seat behind me. Oh, goodie.

Adam immediately put on his headphones and blared his music loudly. CeeCee and I giggled quietly and started chatting about the trip.

Even among one of my best friends, I had to filter my words. Because I had a feeling Paul was listening to it all. Did I mention how bad this trip was going to suck? I had a bad feeling that I would be right…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

****

A/N: Hey there lovely darlings! To all of you Paul fanatics (join the club), did you really think I was going to deprive Paul of the opportunity to have some fun? Of course not, you silly geese! Plus when I pitched the idea to him that he should lay low for a bit, he got pretty peeved. Go figure. So did you like it? I need some constructive criticism/praise terribly, so if there's something you want or need, just let me know. You guys are the coolest ever! You guys make this all so much fun! Give yourselves a pat on the back! Oh, and Muzacgurl, I have never been to OC before, so sorry if I describe it inaccurately. I'm basing most of my tale on stuff that I've researched, so please pretty please help me out! Thanks everyone! 9 pages, folks…I hope they were good. I'm so nervous!


	3. Annoyances

****

A/N: I know, it's been awhile. But this weekend has been so _busy_. Our school jazz band sponsored a Big Band Dance! I volunteered, and it was so fun! Anyway, I have no excuses. Thank you lovely reviewers that rock my socks! On with the show…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Oh, CeeCee this is going to be so much fun! We can stay up late and give each other makeovers! I seriously can't wait until we get there, can you?" I asked rather enthusiastically.

CeeCee didn't answer me.

"Earth to CeeCee! We don't have to do the makeover thing if you prefer…"

She still didn't answer me.

"CeeCee?" I asked, poking her in the arm. She still didn't stir. I leaned over and noticed that she was asleep. Her head was rested on the bus window, bobbing up and down with each bump in the road.

Was I _that_ boring?

I sunk down in my seat. Talk about embarrassing. Kelly and her group of heavily made up goonies began laughing at me. "Oh look!" Kelly exclaimed in false shock, "Simon can't even keep a decent conversation." The goonies laughed incessantly.

"Yeah," Debbie giggled, "I guess she'll have to resort to talking to _herself _like she always does!" That comment sent all of them into fresh peels of laughter.

That was so not fair. Ever since that party, I had been getting similar remarks just like that one. I wasn't talking to myself, I really wasn't. But I don't think there was a way to convince them otherwise.

"No," I said, trying to convince myself that their words had no effect on me, "I'll have to resort to my _fist _if you don't cork it."

I tightened my hand into a fist and showed them my knuckles, so they got that I was serious. The goonies all scoffed at me and turned around in their seats and continued chatting about some party they went to over the weekend. I heard some applause behind me…

"That sure shut them up," Paul commended me.

I turned around and rolled my eyes. Was it too much to ask to be left alone?

"You can talk to me," Paul offered with a grin, "I promise I won't fall asleep."

"Okay, sure, whatever," I said cooly. Why not? I mean, I had nothing better to do. Plus it was kind of hard to say no with the Californian sun shining on him through the window, making his features more defined.

"So, anything good happen while I was gone?" Paul asked casually. 

"No, not really," I replied boredly. Paul nodded his head in understanding and said nothing for awhile. I was convinced he was going to say nothing more so I began turning around…

"Suze," Paul said my name softly, almost soothingly. 

"What?" I asked, forcing annoyance in my tone. He didn't answer me right away. He only leaned in closer to rest his head in the space in between CeeCee's seat and mine. His face was isolated from the rest of his body, making his blue eyes stand out more.

"I missed you," he told me quiet enough so only I could hear it.

I blinked a few times in shock. I opened my mouth, closed it, and then opened it again. Why couldn't I form a sentence? What happened to my witty words?

Cool it, Simon. No big deal, he was probably really lonely while on suspension. Of course, no matter what I told myself, it really was. A big deal, I mean. Because no guy in the sad history of my love life had ever told me that. Well, except for Jesse…and he said he _would _miss me, not that he _did_ miss me. Plus, he kind of diminished the effect of those words by asking me not to be stupid…

I didn't know why I was freaking out. _I missed you_…that was all that he said. It was just…they way that he said it. He said it suddenly, but with sincerity…like_ I_ was all he thought about when he was not at school. Oh wait, that's not a good thing…not a good thing at all.

"Well?" Paul asked me with mild impatience, "Aren't you going to say anything? Didn't you miss me, Suze?"

I finally snapped out of my trance. I just glared at him for a moment and said, "Truthfully? Um, how about…no!"

I think it was Paul's turn to trip over his words. "Well…It figures. You were probably too busy with Rico Suave…"

"You know what, Paul? I think CeeCee had a good idea," I said as I faked a yawn. I turned around in my seat huffily and squeezed my eyes shut.

"Oh, so that's how it is Suze? You may be able to avoid me now, but you can't ignore me the whole trip," Paul said.

With that I pushed a button on my chair and leaned the chair back as far as possible.

****************************************************

****

Mr. Hottstuff's POV (err, I mean, Paul)

'Well, it was nice seeing you too, Suze,' I said to myself as I crossed my arms. Gosh, she was so difficult, but that only made me like her even more (if that was possible).

The top of the reclining chair was about an inch and a half away from my chest, making it pretty hard to breathe. But no matter, she had only made herself closer to me.

And to think, little Suze was trying to tick me off. Well, two can play at that game…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

****

A/N: gosh this chapter was disgustingly short. And pointless! I'm so sorry, I'm just having a dilemma. I wanted to get something out before you think I forgot about ya'll. Good News is, I lettered in Band! Bad news: I heard one of my friend's mom shot herself…not cool. So I'm taking a bit off to sort all of this out. It's really creepy…

Love ya lots, 

Hayley


	4. Stand Still

A/N: Hey there crazy cats! Thank you for being patient with me, guys! I really appreciate it. You have no idea. Anyway, I have some direction…I've even planned it all out till chapter 10. The only thing is that it really doesn't have a definite mold. There are things I want to include but I don't know when and how they'll happen. Well, enough technical story-writing junk…

"Susannah," I heard a voice, so distant, call me.

Jesse…he was so far away. I was riding on a bus, each mile bringing me farther away from him. I guess it was good going to sleep instead of staying awake, only to watch the scenery pass by. It made me nearly sick to imagine how long the road that trailed behind was.

"Oh, Susannah…"

Maybe he would visit me. Gosh, it had only been a few hours and I already missed him more than anyone else! I could only imagine how it would be, seeing him again.

I could see Jesse standing there, holding his arms out invitingly to me. "_Querida_," he would coo, making my legs turn into a glob of pudding. I would force my jelly-legs over to him and flop into his strong, muscular arms. He would draw me closer to him, running his hand down my back soothingly. And then…we would both look into each other's eyes, not even having to mutter a single word. And we'd know exactly what the other wanted to say. Then we'd share another spine-tingling, mind-numbing, knee-trembling kiss. Sigh…

"It's time to wake up…"

I felt someone plant a gentle kiss on my forehead. I let out a sigh and fluttered my eyes open dreamily while a huge smile broke out on my face…

But then it completely wiped off…

"Eeep! P-Paul how did you…" I trailed off as I noticed that the bus was totally empty.

"Calm down. You've been asleep the whole bus ride, including dinner. We're at the hotel now," Paul explained as he kneeled down in the aisle, making him now at eye level with me.

I stretched my arms out widely and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. How could I sleep through the whole thing? I guess I should refrain from all-night packing from now on. My stomach let out this huge, embarrassing growl. Paul chuckled and from behind his back, he pulled out a gigantic dinner roll. I grabbed the roll from his hands and munched down before my stomach could start yelling again.

"Let's get out of here," Paul beckoned as he got up and headed down the aisle toward the exit.

Something felt weird. It just felt like something was out of place…something wasn't quite right. I climbed out of my chair and moved toward the bus door, using the chairs to support me as I went by. Paul held out his hand and I stepped off of the bus. I expected everyone to be already in the hotel, or maybe even waiting on me, possibly in order to get a good laugh at my prolonged nap. Everyone was there all right. But no one was laughing. No one was even moving…not in the slightest bit. Time was, like, frozen or something. I looked at Paul, who flashed me another one of those dangerous toothy smiles.

I tore past Paul and searched around my classmates for an answer. Mr. Walden stood still with his whistle in his mouth, ready to shush the junior class. Kelly was applying some lip-gloss while holding a compact mirror in her manicured hands. Brad was hunched over, probably from laughing at a disgusting joke one of his perverted friends told.

I scanned the silent and motionless crowd for CeeCee and Adam. They were high-fiving one another, their hands clapped together. The look in CeeCee's violet eyes was priceless. A huge smile was spread across her face. A hint of crimson shone through her creamy white skin. Adam's mouth was open with joy. His glance was directed right at CeeCee. They were both sharing joy in who knows what. But they both seemed pretty happy.

Besides all of those times when I was with Jesse, I had to say this was one of the best moments of my life. It was filled with jubilation and anticipation of events coming. I didn't want it to end. I didn't want to go back into the world where I had to deal with ghosts or shifting. And even though this was incredibly strange, I wasn't afraid anymore.

"Cool, eh?" Paul's deep voice echoed behind me. I spun around quickly and nearly jumped when I realized he was only two feet away.

"Are you kidding me?" I asked, my heartbeat quickening in pace suddenly. I heard the thumping of my heart echo in the silence. Oh great, Paul could probably hear it too.

"I knew that'd wake you up," Paul commented as he took a step closer. That well known half smirk graced his face again.

"W-what…this?" I asked cooly as I motioned to my frozen classmates.

Paul chuckled heartily and said, "Nevermind. Let's get your stuff."

Paul took my arm and ushered me behind the bus and unloaded my luggage from the bottom of the bus. He offered to carry it, but you know me. Never let a man do something you are perfectly capable of doing yourself. I followed him back and noticed the scene was now full of life and motion. Time was no longer standing still.

In seeing the joy of my classmates frozen in time, I thought everything would be okay. But now that it time continued on as normal, I felt as if it were a threat. Each minute, even each second, could possibly yield new danger. And it didn't help that the guy that could ruin most anyone's life (and afterlife) was only walking about a foot away from me.

"Did you have a nice nap, Miss Simon?" Mr. Walden asked as he dropped his whistle from his mouth.

"Why, yes I did. Thank you, Mr. Walden," I answered politely.

"Suze, over here!" Adam called as he waved his arm in the air. I smiled and joined him and CeeCee as Mr. Walden blew his whistle.

"May I have your attention please, juniors?" Mr. Walden asked, "Once you get your room keys, you may go up to your rooms and unpack. You will have some free time afterwards to do whatever you please, as long as you stay on hotel property."

Everyone began hooting and hollering. Adam said "Score!" while he held up a hand. CeeCee gave him a high-five. Brad was laughing hysterically and Kelly was reapplying her lip-gloss. Wait a minute…déjà vu! A smile crept on my face as Mr. Walden blew his whistle again.

"Let me finish," Mr. Walden continued when everyone quieted down. "There are a few rules…not guidelines, rules. First of all, please don't play with the elevators. Secondly, no going to rooms belonging to members of the opposite sex. If we catch you, you will be immediately sent home and quite possibly expelled. No loitering in the hallways because there might be other guests on our floor. Remember, we are representing the junior class of the Juniperro Serra Mission Academy, so be on your best behavior. Oh yeah, I almost forgot: curfew is at 11 p.m. We will be checking each room to make sure you're there."

Everyone let out a groan.

"Enough, ladies and gentlemen. Mrs. Tarentino, would you please pass out the room keys?" Mr. Walden asked as he gave Mrs. Tarentino a box.

"What kind of hotel is this?" Adam asked when he was given his key. "They don't even have those high-tech card key thingies."

"This place must be kind of old," CeeCee replied as she studied the small golden key that was given to her.

Oh no. Oh great. Oh man. Why did we have to get placed in an _old_ hotel?

"Suze, are you okay? What's wrong?" CeeCee asked, taking note of the change in my expression.

"Oh, it's nothing really. Old places kind of freak me out is all," I explained.

"What? Are you afraid of _ghosts _or something?" Paul asked. I could feel him step behind me. What did he think he was trying to do? Tell the whole world about my 'abilities' or something?

"You could say that…Yes I am," I answered cooly. I couldn't force myself to face him, in fear of looking him clear in the eye. Maybe because I feared that if I did, that would somehow confirm that I was afraid, not of ghosts, but of Paul Slater himself.

"You could've fooled me," Paul retorted, his voice maintaining its deep calm. I felt him walk away in a breeze.

"Don't pay any attention to him, Suze," Adam said comfortingly as he patted my shoulder.

"Oh don't worry," I told him as I looked back at Paul, "I hadn't planned on it."

A/N: I hadn't planned on ending it there, but now it seems like the best place. Sorry it took so long. Thank you all you lovelies who reviewed last time. You guys rock! The title has its reasons, but it may take a few chapters to get into that. 3 more to be exact…hopefully. I'm so tired. School is stressful because finals are coming up. Oh, and all this week we have Drum Major Tryouts/ Leadership training for marching band next year. But after finals are over May 27th, I get to start my sixteenth summer! Of course, mine won't be half as eventful as Suze's was, considering her sort of boyfriend almost got exorcised thanks to a certain hottie she met at work that happened to share her abilities. Now _that_ would be interesting…

I'm starting chapter 5 right now!

Hayley


	5. Oh, Oh It's magic!

A/N: Hey my lovelies. This week is review week, a.k.a. Dead Week at school. That means much reviewing (not of the fan fic variety) for Hayley. I have to make good grades on the Geometry and Physical Science finals or I might be in big trouble. I'm _totally _freaking out now. I'm so mad at my computer because I'm trying to download TS2 Body Shop, which I've been waiting impatiently for months. But _no_, Hayley isn't allowed to have really cool programs on her computer because IT HATES HER! Life is so unfair! Oh, but at the same time it can be…because our band is going to march Pirates of the Caribbean as our marching show next year! How 'bout that?

Sorry to bore you with my silly randomness…

* * *

Besides the hotel being over seventy years old, there was also the fact that it was really cheap. Yeah, you heard me, cheap. And not just the pricing. I'm pretty sure Father Dom dished a good chunk of money for this hotel. Poor dear wasted his money…because it would have been better to sleep on the bus!

Everyone crowded into the small lobby and waited for an elevator. Only two of the three actually worked, the middle one and the one to the left.

The up arrow started spazzing out, alerting us that the middle elevator was ready to board. Quickly I grabbed Adam and CeeCee and we pushed our way into the small elevator. It was only about 2 feet by 5 feet, making it very cramped with three people plus baggage. The creaky elevator doors closed slowly and I pressed the button for the seventh floor. The seventh floor button blinked a few times and then burned out. Then the 4th floor button started flickering as the elevator went up.

The elevator stopped at the second floor…and every floor after that, pausing for a moment to catch anyone that might enter. But no one was waiting for the elevator on any of those floors. Finally, the old elevator stopped at the seventh floor and the creaky doors opened once more. Adam stepped off first, and the elevator went up about a foot with the door still open. CeeCee and I shrieked but then calmed down as it drooped back down where it belonged.

"Geez," Adam regarded the elevator with mock hurt, "I don't weigh _that_ much!"

"Don't let it bug you," I told him, "You have five bags of luggage. What do you keep in there anyway? Your pet rock collection?"

"I had to leave those at home in order to bring my X-Box," Adam replied with a smirk.

"An X-box? Way to bond with your classmates," CeeCee said with a hint of sarcasm.

"Yeah, well you don't have to room with Slater now do you? Speaking of which, where is he? He has my key."

"I guess you could help us find our room," I offered, trying to change the subject.

I didn't know it was possible to get lost in a place that was so cramped. The hallways were so narrow that the three of us had to walk single file in order to fit through. The walls were covered in wallpaper that was probably at one time white, but had been yellowed as the years passed. The carpet was this hideous faded green color with some sort of design on it that I couldn't figure out because it was so worn.

We finally stumbled upon a door with tarnished silver numbers on it that read "710". CeeCee dug out the key from the pocket of her Mudd jeans.

"You can do the honors, Suze," CeeCee said as she presented me the golden key.

With my tired state, it took me a few tries until I got the key in correctly. Finally, I was able to turn they key and open the door.

"Whoa!" Adam exclaimed as he took a few steps back, "That is a big room. Is this, like, a suite or something?"

CeeCee and I stepped in together with our mouths opened in awe. The room was a pleasant light blue color with slightly darker blue carpeting. Outside of the window, you could see the start of the setting sun. There was no balcony or anything, but it was still a nice room. There were two good-sized beds, both a pale icy color of blue. Like Paul's eyes…

Don't think about Paul, I told myself, _especially in reference to beds_…

"Wow! This is amazing! And it's all _ours_!" CeeCee exclaimed as she plopped down on one of the beds with a sigh.

"No way!" Debbie, who appeared in the doorway, shrieked. "Kelly, look at _their_ room. It's huge!"

Kelly magically appeared from our bathroom door. Wait a minute…

"We have to share a bathroom with…Ohmygawd! How come _they_ got this room?" Kelly whined.

"Oh, Kelly! It must have been a mistake," Debbie said as she pushed Adam aside and bolted into the room.

"There was no mistake," CeeCee said as she crossed her arms. "We were just lucky."

"But…but we have more stuff than you do," Kelly protested with a pout.

"So what? You shouldn't have brought your whole wardrobe with you," I said as I stood beside CeeCee. We weren't going down without a fight!

"Well, that means…you have to give us your room," Debbie demanded as she motioned to the icy blue beds.

"We are not giving up our room and that's final!" CeeCee and I yelled in unison. Go us!

"Fine," Kelly sniffed. "I hope you both are happy. You guys, like, totally ruined our trip!"

They both left our room in defeat through the bathroom that we shared. CeeCee and hit our hips together in a little victory jig.

"You two are officially my heroes!" Adam said as he placed his right hand over his heart.

"What? We've replaced Weird Al?" I asked with a giggle.

"Well…okay, not quite. Hey, we have some free time, let's chill in the lobby," Adam suggested.

CeeCee agreed immediately. I told them I was still a little drowsy from my nap and that I'd be down in a minute after I splashed my face a bit. The two skipped down the hallway merrily.

I went in the bathroom and ran some cold water to wash my face off a bit. As I splashed my face, I couldn't help but think that this trip wasn't going to be as bad as I had originally thought. I wiped off my face a bit with one of the complimentary towels and then headed for the door.

Well, once I opened the door I was face to face with Mr. Icy Blues himself. I really did think about slamming the door on him, but I really couldn't muster any energy to do so. Those eyes, they were so intense that just the sight of them could make you feel so powerless.

"Oh hello Paul. Lovely evening isn't it? Well, I gotta run…Adam and CeeCee are waiting for me, you know. So if you could just move…"

"Well," Paul cut me off suddenly, "I don't think that will be necessary. Come on, Suze, I want to show you something."

"But…"

I didn't have time to protest, because Paul grabbed my hand and led me down the narrow hallway. He opened these double doors and led me up the staircase. We went up about three flights of stairs, which really did a number on me. I mean, can't a girl get some rest around here without being dragged away from her friends who were waiting on her in the lobby? Finally we reached another set of metal doors.

"Now, close your eyes," Paul told me as he let go of my hand.

I hesitated on whether I should or not. I mean, who knows what Paul Slater was up to. He's bad news in my book. Don't let the fact that he looks like an Abercrombie & Fitch model fool you. This guy is 100% danger.

"Don't be like that, Suze. I want to show you something," Paul pleaded.

I can be like this if I want to, I wanted to tell him. It's not like he's done anything to make me trust him. I can make a list of everything he's done to make me miserable:

1. He practically stalked me all summer.

2. He tried to exorcise my boyfriend.

3. He left his little brother, Jesse, and me stranded in a very unfamiliar and not to mention completely bone chilling place.

4. He had the nerve to show his perfectly flawless face at MY school.

5. He also had the nerve to lure me into his room with false promises and then kiss me.

6. He caused two weeks worth of foot pain (and bloodstains on my Jimmy Choo's).

The list could go on and on (and on and on). So you can see why I was adamant about closing my eyes for more than a second around the guy.

"God Suze, just close your eyes. Trust me, okay," Paul said, gradually losing his patience.

"Fine," I sighed as I cupped my hands over my eyes, "Lead the way."

Paul gripped my shoulders firmly and slowly guided me forward. I felt ahead of me with my feet, making sure the ground was still there. You never know…he might have been trying to push me into oblivion like he had so many times in my nightmares. Well, at least he used to…the nightmares went away after the secret deal was made. I guess my subconscious decided that he no longer posed any threat. Well, I was in for a huge wake-up call.

Suddenly, we stopped moving, and Paul removed his hands from my shoulders. I shivered as a breeze hit my bare arms, making me wish I had time to grab a sweater.

Paul slowly removed my hands from my face with his own hands. I still kept my eyes closed, afraid to open them…afraid of what I might see.

"Go ahead, Suze," Paul urged me with his calm, quiet voice, "You can open them now." I swallowed hard and slowly opened my eyes…

Oh. My. GOSH! The view…it was so amazing! We were on the very top of the building, looking down on the nightlife of Orange County. The sky was a faded mix of dark and light blues, dotted with a few sparkling stars…adding to its beauty. The moon was only a thin, sliver crescent hanging in the sky. It was so simple, yet it was just so perfect. I was beginning to wonder if it was just another one of Paul's freaky magic tricks.

"You like it, Suze, don't you," Paul said. He wasn't really asking me, it was more like he was telling me…telling me that it was so magnificent…so breathtaking. I felt myself nodding in agreement, still and stupefied.

"Good, then. Now that we're here, we can talk business," Paul said as he pushed himself up onto the edge of the building, blocking the view.

"Business?" I asked, snapping out of the magical enchantment of the sky.

Paul leaned forward slightly. "You have questions, Suze," he told me, "Questions that only I can answer. So just ask away."

"Oh, you mean that neat little trick you did earlier…pushing the pause button on life. Is that what it was?" I asked as patronizingly as possible.

"It's not just some 'little trick', Suze," Paul said rather defensively.

"Well…" I started, but then I stopped.

I wanted more than anything in the world to ask questions. I wanted to learn. I wanted to _know_. But knowing came at a price. I had to do exactly what he wanted me to do…to ask just the right question. _Then he would have me right where he wanted me._

Paul reached out and turned my chin towards him. His gaze was sharp, piercing into my soul. I wanted to know…Oh God I wanted to know _so badly_. But I couldn't give in…I wouldn't.

"Paul," I said taking a step back, "I get crushed by falling objects, beaten to a bloody pulp, and thrown into really large ditches a lot, okay? It's a daily thing for me. So don't think for a minute that you can just perform a little shifter 'magic' or show me the pretty sky and expect me to just…give in, because you know what? I won't…give in, I mean. I'm not going to stand aside while you ruin my life."

"Who said I was trying to ruin your life?" Paul asked suspiciously.

"Your…No one. I just figured that moving about from different planes of existence couldn't be all that good for me."

That was a close one. I almost said too much. His grandfather warned me about him, and about the dangers of shifting. He told me that it could kill me. I don't know if Paul had ever heard the same information. Or maybe if he had, if he had even listened. Did he ever consider the fact that one day, he could turn out like his drooling gramps? I heaved a shudder at the very thought.

"Suze," Paul cooed as he hopped from the edge and onto the ground in front of me. "I can make everything easier for you. You wouldn't have to find yourself in scrapes like that anymore. It's really simple. All you have to do is…" Paul trailed off as he took a menacing step closer.

"W-what?" I stammered, shrinking in his shadow, "What do I have to do?"

Paul smiled with satisfaction for a moment. He then held out his hand and purred, "You just have to trust me. Do you trust me, Suze?"

"Paul," I pleaded, "Please don't do this…"

"It's a simple question…yes or no. Do you trust me?" Paul repeated clearly.

I never trusted him…I don't think I ever really could. But it was too risky to say no. He might get some crazy idea like oh, I don't know…exorcising Jesse again? We had a deal, but he might have felt I wasn't living up to my part. Then again, if I did trust him, that would mean he had the upper hand. He had the power…power that may cause us to meet our untimely end.

But they could also make my job so much easier. For as long as I can remember, I've been stuck with this unwanted duty. So why not make it quick, easy, and painless?

I took a deep breath that drowned out my doubt.

"Yes," I answered as I took his hand, "I do." _(A/N: Suze just said 'I do'…to Paul! Teehee!)_

"You made the right choice," Paul assured me as he led me nearer the edge of the building. "See all of this? We have the power. All of this, the green grass, the blue skies…it's all ours to control."

I do have to admit that it was all so lovely. I could move around, as I wanted. I could get rid of pesky ghosts at the snap of a finger.

"You have great potential, Suze," Paul told me, "You have the ability to do things beyond your wildest dreams. You and I…we can have whatever we want. We can have the world."

At the last bit, I gulped loudly. What did I just do? I just sold my soul, just so I could have the freaking universe. I felt selfish, wrong, and incredibly guilty.

I also felt like I was going to puke.

* * *

A/N: Gosh, that was a really long chapter…11 pages, my friends. I actually got TS2 Body Shop to install and run! I feel so stupid. I just had to rejoice! Anyway, on with story details…tell me what you thought, please. I made this chapter especially long because I don't think I can update before finals. I get out of school the 27th, that isn't too long is it? I really can't wait. Paul was getting a little too strange with his "You and I are going to take over the world MUAHAHA!" speech. He's on this huge ego trip right now…you understand. And Suze…shame on her for getting all power hungry on us. Well, it'll all work itself out sooner or later. So watch out for the next chapter…and I heart you girls (and any guys that read, I want to know if any of you exist) for reading and reviewing. It means so much to me!


	6. The simple things

Sometimes, things are just too easy. So simple, in fact, that it kind of worries you that you barely made an effort. I was so concerned with how suspicious Adam and CeeCee were going to be…I had even come up with a lame excuse that might have been able to cover my guilty butt. _I got lost in the narrow halls and the elevator freaked out on me. Seriously, guys, you had to be there. It stopped on every floor again on the way down and then for some reason went back up to the 8th floor and then down again. I think it's possessed or something…_

But after all of that trouble, all I got was "Hey, Suze! Quick! Adam learned how to unwrap a Starburst in his mouth! You know, like in that commercial!"

Actually, it was kind of funny to see Adam's face contorted in concentration as he attempted to try it again. His eyes were squeezed shut, his nose was wrinkled, his eyebrows were knit together, and his cheeks were slightly turning red. Finally, once he was finished, he victoriously slid the candy wrapper from his mouth and presented it to me.

"Nice one, McTavish! You know there's an easier way to do that," I told him as I took a Starburst from him.

"Oh yeah?" Adam asked curiously.

I flashed CeeCee a smile and then unwrapped the candy and popped it into my mouth. CeeCee clapped her hands and giggled as I took a deep bow.

"Hah, very funny, Suze," Adam said as he rolled his eyes expressively. "Why do you always have to ruin my moments of glory?"

"Sounds like Adam's jealous, Suze! He can't bear to stand by while you steal the spotlight away," CeeCee said with a laugh.

"Well! I have a few more tricks up my sleeve that will definitely keep you _entertained_. Anyone want to volunteer?" Adam asked as he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. Um…EW!

"Oh, sorry, look at the time! Curfew is in an hour," CeeCee exclaimed as she looked at her watch.

"Oh my, is it _really_?" I asked, faking my surprise, "My how time flies! Sorry, Adam, but we must get back to the room and unpack!"

Adam smiled and teased, "Well, well! I'm just too much _man_ for you two!"

CeeCee and I looked at each other for a second and then the laughter ripped out of our chest. We could barely contain ourselves. Adam frowned a bit, but then brightened up when I managed to bump into one of the ugly brown couches in the lobby. CeeCee and I gathered whatever was left of our sanity and headed to the elevators.

After the interesting elevator ride, we navigated the halls, looking for our room in silence. Then CeeCee just stopped and grabbed my arm suddenly.

"What?" I asked her worriedly, "What's wrong, CeeCee?"

"Suze," CeeCee breathed, "Whatever you do, don't look down."

"Huh?" I asked as I stupidly looked down on the ground to see this huge roach about the size of my palm crawling toward my shoe.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! GET IT AWAY! I PAID A LOT OF MONEY FOR THESE SHOES! OH MY GOD!"

I, Susannah Simon, am not afraid of very many things. Pain, I can deal with. Heights…no problem. I see dead people everyday. _Nothing_ surprises me. But anything that slightly resembles a bug…

"EWWWWWWW! CeeCee, DO SOMETHING!"

CeeCee, not being as afraid of crawling critters, heroically stomped her foot on the disgusting creature until it was, in fact, dead.

"I'll never wear these shoes again," CeeCee said, cringing as she looked at them mournfully.

"Oh my Gosh, CeeCee, thanks so much!" I cried as I squeezed her into a tight hug. "I'll clean them for you. I'll even buy you a new pair, okay?"

"No need, Suze. That's what friends are for, right?" CeeCee choked out, because I was squeezing her so tightly.

You don't understand what a nice gesture that was. CeeCee sacrificed her really cute (and not to mention comfortable) Steve Madden sneakers, that were white with two black stripes on them, for _me_. Granted, CeeCee didn't really care about fashion and she got a really great deal on them, but still, _she really cared_. And that is what friendship is all about. Sacrifices, I mean, not shoes.

"Um, Suze…air?" CeeCee pleaded as she released herself from my clenches.

"Sorry, I just can't thank you enough. You know…"

CeeCee interrupted, "…That you are scared to death of bugs. I remember that time my sister tried to show you that beetle she caught. You totally freaked!"

CeeCee and I laughed as we recalled the terrible scene I made. Bugs are creepy, okay? Doesn't that justify me standing up on CeeCee's bed while managing to accidentally hit my head on her ceiling?

Fine, I'm pathetic…you don't have to tell me twice.

We finally reached room 710. CeeCee dug in her pocket for her key and then opened the door to our beautiful suite with the nice décor, dazzling icy blue beds, a glorious view behind those massive curtains, and…complimentary Louis Vuitton luggage bags?

"Oh, hey girls! You must be _terribly_ lost. Your room is next door," Kelly said as she smiled sympathetically.

I was speechless…I really was. Kelly and Debbie had some gall, trying to steal our room like that! But then again, how stupid were we to leave the door to the bathroom unlocked, so they could get in?

"Sorry, Kelly, but you must be _terribly_ mistaken. You see, _Suze and I_ were assigned to this room, not you two," CeeCee spoke slowly, making sure they understood the words.

Debbie took a step forward boldly and said, "Well, Kelly and I were, like, thinking…"

"Wow, what a surprise!" CeeCee cut in sardonically.

"Whatever," Debbie brushed CeeCee's verbal punch off, "Like I was saying…Kelly and I were, like, thinking that they probably, like, you know, switched the rooms or something. So we're just, like, saving them some trouble by correcting that problem."

"Why? Do you think _you're_ more deserving of this room than we are?" CeeCee asked as she tightened her fists at her sides.

Man, CeeCee was on fire! But sooner or later those fists would probably leave their position at her side and end up somewhere else…like on Debbie's face. Well, this looks like a job for Suze the Mediator!

Only…I don't think I've ever had to mediate between _living_ people before. It shouldn't be that different, right? I mean, ghosts are people too…I mean, _were_…I mean…well you know what I mean.

"Guys, let's take a chill pill, okay? We shouldn't get in a row over some room," I said as I stepped in front of CeeCee.

"Suze," CeeCee raised her voice slightly in anger, "Are you really going to let them take our room like this? I've put up with them for 10 years, okay? If we give in now, they're never going to change."

"I'm sure there's some sort of compromise we can work out. You know, without resorting to fisticuffs," I pleaded as I walked in the middle of the room, positioning myself directly in between the two parties. I wasn't going to take any chances. I mean, Kelly looked about ready to gouge CeeCee's eyes out with her sharp, freshly manicured nails.

"The only thing you'll compromise," CeeCee said huffily, "is our rights to a really cool room. How many times have we gotten what we've wanted for a change, huh?"

She had a point. Kelly and Debbie had everything! And if there was something that they wanted, they could get it at the drop of a hat. And poor CeeCee, she's had to deal with these girls…their constant taunting about the fact that she was albino, their silly pranks, and their constant gossip for 10 years. That's a whole _decade_!

"I see your point CeeCee," I whispered so that Kelly and Debbie couldn't hear me, even though they were craning their necks trying to listen. "There might be a way that we can all get what we want. Just trust me with this, okay?"

CeeCee hesitated for a bit, but then finally gave in with a sigh, "Fine. Since when do _you_ know how to solve every little problem?"

"I guess you could say I've had _a lot_ of experience," I replied with a grin.

CeeCee glanced at me with a puzzled expression, but I quickly turned to Kelly and Debbie who were by then filing their nails impatiently.

"I realize that, in life, one must learn to pick their battles," I started in a business-like manner, "I mean, we can't just go around fighting and being all mad at each other for the simplest things. So I figure that this battle is just worthless. Instead of biting each other's head off, I've come up with a nice proposition, one that should be liked by all."

"A what?" Debbie asked Kelly, the obvious translator in this situation.

"A _proposition_, Deb. It's, like, a lawyer's term. My daddy uses it all the time. It's, like, a bargain or something."

"Cool, I like bargains!" Debbie squealed, "So what is your prop-a…prop-e…proposition?"

"CeeCee and I get the room," I said as Kelly and Debbie scowled, "BUT, you can keep some of your stuff in here, since you guys said you didn't have any room. Does that sound good to you?"

Kelly thought about it for a bit and then said, "Make it that AND we get first dibs on showers, and you might have yourselves a deal."

I could see Kelly being a great businesswoman…or at least a used car saleswoman.

"Sure, sure," I agreed as I gave a quick glance at CeeCee.

"And we can use your coffee maker, ours is _disgusting_!" Debbie piped in.

"Okay, deal. We won't use ours anyway, right CeeCee?"

CeeCee shook her head with a look of defeat.

"There are some conditions, however," CeeCee spoke, "Like, you have to knock before you come in to get anything. And we can deny entrance if necessary. And no visitation after curfew unless it's an emergency. And…"

"Whoa, hold it there, tiger," I interrupted, "We have to make this mutually beneficial here. That ought to be enough."

Kelly and Debbie pondered over it for a few minutes. I don't know if that was the process of thinking that took them so long, or if it was just that they were trying to find ways around our setup.

Finally, Kelly and Debbie looked at each other and said in unison, "_Deal!_"

It was that easy. If only dealing with dead people were easier…

Debbie and Kelly packed up and moved everything out, with the exception of two rather large bags. The chaperones came by to see if we were in the proper room, checking the room suspiciously for any unwanted visitors of the male persuasion. Once everything was cleared, they told us that we were to report to the lobby at 8 o'clock sharp tomorrow morning for quick breakfast and roll call. Then we'd leave to take a tour of the lovely Mission San Juan Capistrano. Thrilling…

"Hey, Suze," CeeCee said after they left, "I wonder what's in Kelly and Debbie's bags…"

"We can't look through their stuff!" I exclaimed, "That would be wrong!"

"Well, the deal didn't say we _couldn't_," CeeCee pointed out the little hole in their bargain.

"Well…okay," I gave in, "I'm kinda curious myself…"

So with that, we wandered over to the two Louis Vuitton bags and carefully unzipped them, revealing all of Kelly and Debbie's expensive makeup and perfume.

"They each have a bag full of this stuff! Geez, superficial, much?" CeeCee said as she picked up a pair of eyelash-curlers.

"Oh my gosh, it's like they own the whole collection of Maybelline nail polish colors! And Debbie carries more anti-wrinkle cream than my mom!" I exclaimed as I set all of it out to the side.

"I like this color," CeeCee said as she picked up this deep blue-green color creatively called 'Tidal Wave'.

"Whoa," I said as I marveled at the richness of color. It shined a deep blue if the light hit it one way and a deep emerald when the light hit it the other way.

"It would look great on you!" CeeCee exclaimed as she took a long look at my nails.

"Really? You really think so?" I asked as CeeCee took the bottle from me and opened the cap.

I rested my hand on my leg as CeeCee painted my nails. The dark liquid felt cool on my long, unpolished nails.

"So, Suze," CeeCee began conversationally as my nails were drying. "What took you so long?"

"Huh?" I asked, not knowing what she was talking about.

"Earlier, you were supposed to meet us in the lobby. You were MIA for about twenty minutes. What happened?"

"I got lost…in the narrow hallway…and, uh the elevator, like, totally freaked out on me, and uh…"

"You could at least _try_ to make your story convincing, Suze," CeeCee said as she crossed her arms. "You are such a terrible liar."

Why was it getting so hot? My heart was racing. CeeCee had caught me, and there was no way to escape her questions now…

"Yeah, I guess I am," I choked.

I'm such a terrible friend. I couldn't even tell her the whole truth. I couldn't tell her about Jesse, or the fact that Paul is a little more than a mysterious (hot) guy that I met the past summer. I couldn't tell her about my special ability, or even the fact that there might be things I haven't learned yet. Things that could be taught to me…unfortunately only by Paul.

But CeeCee, being the sensitive person that she was, decided not to press on any further with the subject…for now. She saw that it caused me great discomfort, so she dropped it completely. But I knew that sooner or later, she would find out the entire story. She was the editor of the school paper. It was her job.

* * *

A/N: I have 4 more finals to go, and then I'm off the hook. Seriously, summer is so close that I can taste it!

Sorry about the boringness of this chapter…I just thought I'd give you a taste of some amount of normalcy in Suze's life. She is, after all, a normal 16-year-old girl. So to make up for my shortcomings, I shall reply to some reviews that you lovelies sent me (I LOVE YOU GUYS)!

Mystique Angelique: Or should I call you _Gothic Granny_ now? Ain't nothing wrong with Weird Al…I've been to two of his concerts. One was actually pretty recently too…November, if I remember correctly. That probably explains my weirdness, yeah? One of my guy friends knows, like every song on Poodle Hat. I'm not _that _weird! And the correct spelling is Albuquerque if you must know. Don't listen to Lolly, guys, she knows _nothing_…_nothing at all_. She's just…uh, really smart is all. And I thought the Paul taking over the world was a but much too, but I'm just telling it like it is. You're so cool to talk to on MSN!

Esodes08: I tried to force feed the book to my friend Beans…he read the part where Paul left Suze and Jesse in Shadowland, and he was like, "Dude, you are just like that chick." Well, that comment was directed at the line where she was all "I want to meet my maker in style." He seemed to think it was too girly for him too. The elevator thing actually happened to me when I was in New Orleans…I was inside the elevator as it rose 2 feet. It was so freaky! Actually, the basic idea of the hotel was taken from N'awlins…the hotel was so cheap. And yes, my roomies and I got the good room (it was so pretty) but these mean seniors kicked us out. They did give us pizza, though. As far as I know, Paul had nothing to do with it…but you never know what kind of tricks he has up his sleeve. I pretty much hated Paul when I first read the books…but it all changed after I read it again a few times. And as for the harassment…big heaping helping coming soon.

Hayley: DUDE! I love your name! I finally downloaded S2BS and it works! Have you gotten it to work yet? I don't write PD fics…you'd be surprised to learn that I haven't even read those books yet. Definitely on my list, though. Do you write for Fan-Fiction? I'd like to read some of your work if you do. Hayley power!

Ghost Magic: Thank you for reading! It's so cool of you to review! Fan-Fiction rocks, as you've probably figured out already!

That's all folks!


	7. Bumpy Ride

A/N: Has anyone ever told ya that ya'll rock? I feel so loved, so very loved! Ya'll put up with me being a weirdo and such and the whole fact that my story is boring for now…and ya'll still read! Lovely responses for lovely readers:

Esodes08: Kelly and Debbie did get totally ripped-off, but it all evens out, as you'll see later. I think your teacher ripped you off too. Seriously, making you take your Science final? Totally cruel! You guys get a fair? We work our bo-hineys off and we don't get a fair! You are one lucky duck! I think you should really go for it! Just write something and post it, please! Come on, we all get the jitters…just overcome it! I think liking Paul comes in stages. Like at first you hate him, then you hate to like him, then you start thinking he's okay, then you finally realize you're in love with him. Ok, well not in love, but you know what I mean! Hey, you're in Meg's Book Club, yeah? Isn't that awesome?

Gothic Granny: All that's so sweet! I have every one of your stories on my faves…I think. I'll check up on that. You are lucky you don't have exams, young'un. You give the impression that you know a lot about my story…teehee. I hope I was able to help with your emotional breakdown…you seem fine now, besides the random twitching. That goes away, I promise. Adam is so awesome! I remember when I first read Shadowland and I thought Jesse was annoying. And then she met Adam and I was like, 'He sounds so cool! Maybe she'll go out with him!' Isn't that weird? Yeah, Adam is one of my faves AW! I can't really tell you what to do in Addicted that's totally up to you. Oh and here is a big heaping helping of our friend Paul…just for you, Lolly. (See? I managed not to spill anything, aren't you proud?)

Hayley: Yes, I am the bad twin! You better believe it! Come on! Please post your PD fics! Please? It is necessary that all Hayleys post their creative, inspired works. You can do it! I'm going to bug my parents to buy me the PD series! My AIM is…shock, shock…NiceHayley. If there is a NiceHayley out there, you can pretty much guess it's me. Hayleys unite!

Universal Call: Well, your cousin has a cool name too! And that makes you automatically cool that you know a Hayley! I'm updating now! And Jesse will sneak in, just hang in there!

**Alissa:** Wow, thanks! Weird Al is the coolest! And you'll find out who Magdalena is soon enough. And you can join the Adam-loving club!

**Misfortunates of Fortunaschwein:** Boy, that's a doozy to type! It is hard to get on MSN the same time as you because of the 13 hour time difference. I do agree abou the massive amounts of work needed, but we've come really far already! The joy in this is, no one knows what we are talking about, but they'll just have to wait and see! And thanks about what you said! It was so sweet!! Writer's block sucks so much, but we can help each other out!

* * *

THUD, THUD, THUD, THUD!

That's what I woke up to the next morning.

I sat up groggily and made my way over to the bathroom door, where all of the thudding was coming from. I opened it, and let out a little scream.

"Chill, Suze," a green-faced person said, "It's just me, Kelly. We need our stuff."

I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and then squinted. Yep, that was Kelly all right. She was only wearing a facemask. Could have fooled me…

"Come on in," I said as pleasantly as possible, for a girl that was so rudely interrupted of her precious sleep.

Kelly made her way over to her bags and rummaged through them noisily, causing CeeCee to stir in her sleep. I peeked out of the window and noticed it was still dark outside.

"Kelly?" I croaked in my morning voice, "What time is it anyway?"

Kelly, plucking a few items from her bag, replied, "Oh, it's only 5 o'clock."

"WHAT?" I yelled. I realized that CeeCee was still asleep, so I brought my voice down to a whisper and asked, "It's 5 am, Kelly. Are you insane?"

"Early to sleep, early to rise, makes you healthy, wealthy, and wise!" Kelly chirped cheerfully.

Well, early rising didn't help her on the last bit. It amazed me how Kelly could be cheerful at such an ungodly hour. She was humming under her breath as she searched for her nail file. She looked rather odd right then…with that green goop on her face, fuzzy pink bathrobe draped on her shoulders, and her wet blonde hair piled on the very top of her head. I wondered if any of the guys would still be in love with her if they saw her in her early-morning condition.

"Debbie will be out of the shower in a few," Kelly stated, as if I had asked her about it. "It might help you wake up."

I nodded my head, not really sure what to say. First of all, it was too early to choke any words out…and secondly, Kelly and I really didn't have much in common. Well, besides the whole student government thing, our love of all things fashionable, and our impressive make-up collection. Oh wait, and our mutual disgust in Paul Slater.

Well, okay, there was a lot that we could talk about. But there was this sort of wall between us, blocking us from becoming too buddy-buddy. I mean, Kelly was always nice to me…maybe because she was afraid after what I did to Debbie when I first came to Carmel. Did she really think I was going to actually break Debbie's fingers? I wouldn't waste my energy on something so frivolous. I quietly opened the armoire and pretended to search for something to wear to cover the silence.

"Debbie's out now!" Kelly called as she pranced out of the room.

I quickly picked out an outfit, gathered my travel-sized shampoo and soap, and went to the bathroom, locking both doors just in case the Ditzy Duo decided to barge in. I got in the shower and turned the water on slowly and…

"EEEEeeeeeeeeEEp!" I squealed as I turned the hot water on. But that didn't help any. The Ditzy Duo used up all of the hot water! Perfect, just perfect!

After taking an icy shower, I had enough time to blow-dry my hair straight. No wonder Kelly's hair looks perfect…she gets up at the crack of dawn to style it.

When my hair was done, I put on the outfit I had picked out earlier. It was this blue-green cami tank that actually matched the Tidal Wave nail polish that I 'borrowed' from Kelly, coupled with this gorgeous white bohemian-style layered skirt that was just a little above my knees. Over the cami tank, I wore a stylish white button-up 3/4-length shirt that I bought at The Gap. Together it looked very beach-chic…very Californian. I completed the look with this really pretty necklace that had actual seashells on it.

By the time I got out of the bathroom, CeeCee was already awake and ready to go. She was smart and took her shower the night before so she actually had HOT shower. She was applying SPF 45 to her creamy-white face and any other skin that wasn't covered by her pastel purple long-sleeved shirt or her dark purple corduroy pants.

At 8:00, the junior class assembled in the lobby and then proceeded to a complimentary hotel breakfast buffet. Needless to say the eggs were a greenish color, the biscuits were stale, and the gravy was chunky. But they also served cereal, so everyone opted for that instead.

"Oh, hey Suze!" Kelly said as she and her crowd took a seat at the table Adam, CeeCee, and I occupied.

"Your hair looks so _pretty_ straight!" Debbie squealed in approval.

"And nice choice in outfit, Suze. It really brings out your eyes! And I _love_ your nail polish!" Kelly gushed.

I giggled silently to myself. I can't believe Kelly hadn't noticed that I was wearing her nail polish!

After the strange occurrences at breakfast, we packed on the bus and headed for the San Juan Capistrano Mission. The ride wasn't too long, just long enough to read over the brochure of the Mission with CeeCee. We were really psyched to see it, because from the pictures it looked really nice.

"All right, this is our stop! Once you are off the bus, find your buddy. We'll do a quick check and then we will begin the tour of the Mission. Remember that we are representing Juniperro Serra Mission Academy, so be on your best behavior!" Mrs. Tarentino shouted over the group. We unloaded the bus and everyone stood, shattering excitedly amongst friends.

"This is so going to _rock_!" Adam exclaimed and he put an arm around CeeCee.

"Adam, you aren't actually _interested_ in this, are you?" CeeCee teased as she ruffled his hair playfully.

Adam scowled. "Dude, watch the hair!" he reminded her as he removed his arm from her shoulders to fix his tousled hair.

I giggled as the two poked fun at each other. They were so cute together, even when they fought. But none of them wanted to compromise their friendship for a relationship. Or at least that's how CeeCee explained it. Adam always changed the subject when I brought it up.

"Hello there…_buddy_," a voice, close to my ear muttered softly. Guess who that would be…

"Paul," I said as calmly as possible, "Buzz off."

"No can do," Paul replied, his strong-arm still draping my shoulder.

"Couldn't you at least, I don't know, try to make this an tolerable experience?" I asked.

"Now that," Paul said as he leaned so close to that I could feel his lips brush my ear as he spoke, "Is something I _can_ do."

"Quit it, will you?" I hissed as I craned my neck away.

God, didn't he have any manners? We were at a school function, and he didn't even have the decency tone it down a bit. Well, that's Paul for you…never tame, always wild.

Paul chuckled a deep, manly laugh as he turned to listen to the chaperones drone about the day's itinerary. But he still had a hold on me, which was really unnerving. I felt really uncomfortable and awkward in his grasp. He had me in his clutches…and it was all my fault. I had agreed to it. And boy, was I in for a bumpy ride.

We met the tour guide in the front of the mission. The guide was this really short, but incredibly loud woman of about 50. She introduced herself as Joanne O'Riley, the head of the mission's historical department. She did seem to know a whole lot about the mission.

"This marvelous mission you are currently visiting is the San Juan Capistrano Mission, located deep in the heart of Orange County. This mission was the seventh mission founded by Father Juniperro Serra. Father Fermin Lausen previously established this mission in 1775, but later unrest at the Mission in San Diego caused its unfortunate abandonment. You see, Father Lausen left the mission in San Diego in order to create another mission half-way between the San Gabriel Mission and the one in San Diego. Fr. Lausen bought the land, and even added this nice crucifix here, signaling that this was about to become one of the great missions in California. They worked on the mission for eight days, when they heard that the Indians attacked the mission in San Diego. They stopped construction, buried the bells, and went back to San Diego to help. On the Feast of All Souls Day, November 1st 1776, Father Serra re-established this mission, which still stands strong today. The mission was named after the famous theologian St. John Capistrano of Italy. In 1777, they built the small chapel; it remains the only surviving building in which Father Serra said Mass."

Everyone looked in awe at how tiny the church really was. It was sort of hard to believe that someone as big as Father Serra once performed an actual Mass in this small chapel. I mean, not even our small class could fit inside completely.

But then again, it was so extravagant, the amount of gold they used in the shrine. No wonder there was barely any room, the place was so filled with riches that it was kind of over-powering. There was a plaque above the chapel that read in vibrant yellow _Serra's Church_. Well, they really did seem proud of it.

"You see here the golden altar, used to celebrate daily masses. Behind it is where they kept the consecrated host, lavishly decorated and safe. You will also notice various statues of different saints, and even a nice crucifix above the golden altar. Notice the confessionals to your left."

The last command was sort of an afterthought to Joanne. They were a series of small wooden doors in line, looking very humble next to the elaborate golden shrine that stood in front of us.

I don't know why I wanted to see the confessionals so badly. I mean, they must not have been _that _important, the way Joanne glided over them so. I felt this tugging feeling, that I just _had_ to check them out.

So I headed that way slowly as the tour guide went on about the important history of this establishment. She was filling the chapel with her boisterous voice, spouting about some important event that happened in 1812 or something.

I had my hand on the door, ready to push it open, when Paul appeared beside me, leaning against the wall crossing his muscular arms in front of his chest.

"What's a good girl like you doing snooping around these old confessionals? Have you been _bad_ lately?" Paul inquired with his trademark smirk.

"I don't plan on being _bad_ anytime soon," I said as I rolled my eyes expressively, "I was just curious."

"That's too bad," Paul replied, raising his eyebrows suggestively, "I was kind of curious too. We can check it out. Together."

I somehow didn't believe he was really interested with what was inside. I think he was only interested in getting inside…with me.

Um, EW!

Dude, this was a Church for goodness sakes! And to think he wanted to…well, I'm not too sure what he wanted to do, but I do know that it probably wasn't too religious or anything.

The thought sent shivers down my spine, in not such a good way. These weren't Jesse-kiss shivers, these were there's-a-dangerous-hottie-out-to-get-you shivers.

It certainly didn't help that he was dressed in this gray button down shirt, which he left un-buttoned at the neck, exposing only a little of his well-defined chest. The gray really brought out his slate-blue eyes, making them seem brighter. One of his dark brown curls hung ever so casually in his face, adding a certain mysterious appeal to him.

Maybe he should invest in a headband or something…

I rolled my eyes at him again and, without saying anything, opened the small wooden door slowly and quietly.

I almost screamed as I found that it wasn't empty, as I would have expected. No, this confessional was occupied…by a little girl who was sobbing her eyes out. And not just any little girl…it was a _ghost _of a little girl.

I glanced at Paul who looked pretty startled himself. That really didn't help at the moment because I was sort of expecting a reassuring nod or something. Nope, nothing, nada…

I looked back at the girl with only one thought flying through my mind…

Oh boy, I really was in for a bumpy ride.

* * *

A/N: I hope you guys liked this chapter. I felt pretty good after writing it. It's finally summer, so I have a lot of time on my hands. Well, not this week though. Think 3-day band camp, 2 day leadership camp, and a wedding…all in the same week. Oh, and I actually get to see my friend Katherine! We never got to see each other during school. Please tell me what you think, and maybe offer some suggestions. I have major writers block, but I'm trying really hard here. But expect something cool sometime soon, okay? Hang in there, lovelies. You certainly rock! Ya'll are my muses, all of you!


	8. Don't cry

A/N: So you may have figured out the good news! Lolly (Mystique Angelique) and I are now in cahoots, writing another awesome fan-fiction! It's going to be pretty wicked once it gets on its way. I'm very excited after trying so hard to keep it secret! I think I've rid myself of the dreaded block, for now. It's still sort-of there, but I'm figuring it'll go away soon! I can't believe I have 43 reviews for only 7 chapters! Gosh guys, you make me feel so loved! I LOVE ALL OF YOU!

* * *

"Whoa," Paul said as he rushed into the little confessional and sat next to the crying girl. "What's wrong? You can tell us…we're here to help you."

It's funny how convincing he sounded just then. If I hadn't known Paul, I would have instantly poured my guts out to him. Unfortunately for the little girl, she had no idea just who she was crying in the arms of.

The girl appeared to be about ten or eleven years old, but from what she was wearing I could only figure she was much, much older than that. She was Latino, much like Jesse, with flowing black hair and, from what I could see, wide brown eyes hidden behind a black veil. She was wearing a very simple old-fashioned black dress and some matching black gloves made of black lace. I had no idea what this little ghost had been crying over, but I figured she must have been there for a long time.

The girl didn't answer Paul's previous question. Instead, she flung her hands in front of her eyes dramatically and buried her head into Paul's gray shirt. Paul, with obvious shock, sent me a pleading look as he patted her back uncomfortably.

Well, someone hasn't had to deal with hysterical girls. Insane ghosts, maybe, but you could so tell Paul had never lent a shoulder for little ghosties to cry on.

I scanned the small church cautiously for signs of anyone that stayed behind the tour group. I wasn't going to have anyone think that I was actually going into the confessional with Paul Slater. Because that's what everyone else would see. They wouldn't be able to see or hear the little girl's frightened cries. The coast was clear, so I went in and closed the wooden door behind me.

The confessional was dark and incredibly cramped with three people inside, but I somehow managed to find a place to kneel so that I could communicate with the stranger in Paul's arms.

"Hey, hey, now! Everything's gonna be fine," I said soothingly as I pushed her veil back, revealing a set of wet gleaming brown eyes. "What's your name?"

"M-y n-name is M-Magdalena," the girl said, her voice hoarse and awkward and out of use.

"That's a pretty name, Magdalena," I told her. "I'm Susannah and this is Paul."

But she didn't say anything in reply. Instead she wiped her nose with the back of her hand.

"Wait," Paul said as he fished out his famous hanky, the same one he used to wipe away my tears two weeks ago. He presented it to her and said, "Use this instead."

Magdalena took it without as much as a word and started crying again. Paul looked at me with raised eyebrows and shrugged. _That's okay_, I thought, _I have no idea what to do either_.

We were really sort-of pressed for time. I mean, it wouldn't be too long before Mr. Walden, or God forbid, our other classmates realized that Paul and I disappeared. So you can forgive me for my lack of tact, right?

"Maggie, tell us what's wrong, please," I pleaded, my knees getting a little tired from kneeling so much. "We're only looking to help you, so if you tell us what's wrong we can help you."

"No!" Maggie screamed loudly, rendering Paul and I temporarily deaf. I mean since it was a small space, the sound had no where else to escape to. So even though it was a short scream, it still rang in my ears a few minutes after.

Okay, so I was a little mad now. I mean, I tried to offer this poor little girl some help but what does she do? She busted my eardrums. Plus, I really didn't want to be stuck in a cramped place with the face that haunted my dreams and some psycho little girl who was heavy on the waterworks.

"Could you at least tell us how you died?" I begged as politely as possible. "I'm sure you don't want to hang around this joint anymore. It's kinda…dark in here, you know? We could help you out."

She looked at me like I had grown a third eye or something. "W-why do _you_ want to know? How come _you_ can see me? What _are_ you?"

"Suze and I are shifters. We can travel throughout the realm of the living and the dead," Paul explained to her. "It's really hard to explain to you, but if you just take my hand, we can…"

"Paul," I spat as I swiped his hand from the little girl's, "We are not going to shift, okay. Not here, not now. I think we can help her out just fine MY way."

"I see that YOUR way has been _very_ effective in the past," Paul said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "If YOUR way works so much, then how come _Jesse_ is still hanging around?"

I believe my cheeks began to turn this horrid shade of red. God, he was such a pig sometimes. At least with MY way, the ghosts get to choose freely. HIS way was dangerous, aggressive, and just plain morally wrong. Just like him. They didn't even get to use their God-given free will to figure it out for themselves. And that Jesse punch he tried to throw…so unfair! Jesse was a special case. He didn't know why he was here. He needed to figure it out on his own. And just because I happened to accidentally fall in love with him didn't mean anything. Well, actually it did…it meant that I didn't want him to move on. I wanted him to stay forever…

"Shut up," I growled at him. He flashed me that smile that was supposed to make me go gaga or something. It was SO not working. I mean, my hands totally turning clammy and cold while my heart was racing? It had nothing to do with him. Nothing at all.

"Let's let the girl decide for herself," Paul suggested with that stupid smile all plastered on his hott face. I didn't mean that part about his face being hott. I meant hot…hot as in sweaty…you know, all smelly and stuff. Yep, hot…NOT hott.

Who was I trying to fool here?

"Fine," I hissed, "Maggie, what do you think?"

She didn't answer me, so I looked to where she was sitting. Only…she wasn't there. Obviously she became impatient with our arguing and just dematerialized in a huff without out us noticing. Well, Maggs, I feel the same way too. I just wish I could dematerialize whenever Paul was around. Life would just be that much easier to deal with.

Aggravated, I stormed out of the confessional, leaving Paul behind. That stupid Buddy System rule? It was just that. A stupid rule. No one would care anyway, except for maybe Debbie Mancuso who had the obvious hotts for him. And maybe all of the other kids that secretly looked up to him for dissing Kelly. And all those teachers he sucked up to…

Ugh. Why did I even bother?

I found my fellow classmates crowded around the Mission's fountain, hardly paying attention to Joanne's little speech about it. It was a little hot outside, and everyone was waving their brochures to fan their face.

"If someone wanted to figure out how rich and successful a mission was, all they had to do was look at the size and how elaborate the main fountain was," Joanne said as she stood by the fountain and dipped her fingers in.

The fountain was pretty big. The fountain itself wasn't very colorful, but the plants surrounding it more than made up for that. They must have hired some pretty good landscapers back in the day. Or else the Mission had a massive makeover since then.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that Paul had found his way back to me. He was sort of standing behind me and kind of off to the side. I pretended that I was paying attention to the tour guide, when in fact I had other things on my mind. No, I wasn't thinking about Magdalena, even though I really should have. I mean, of course I was curious about her strange behavior. I really should have been contemplating it more. Mediation was my first priority, right? And no, I wasn't thinking about Paul. Why would I do something like that? I was thinking about Jesse.

I was curious about what he did while I wasn't there. I mean, did he just hang out in the rectory or something? Or maybe he watched my room and kept Spike company. Yeah, Spike still lived with me. Hey, it was an excuse for Jesse to visit every once and a while. Gosh, I missed him so much. It was very pathetic of me to miss him when I'd only been gone for a day. But that's just me…Miss Pathetic.

My lovely thoughts of Jesse were torn from me as I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around to see that the mysterious tapper was Paul.

"We have company," he whispered as he pointed at the fountain. I looked to see Magdalena sitting on the edge of the fountain, no trace of tears in her eyes at all. She smiled cheerfully and flicked some water at me.

"Hey Maggie," I mouthed to her, making sure no one else could see me.

"We need to talk," Paul said as he grabbed my arm. "Now preferably."

"Paul," I hissed as I pulled my arm away, "Are you trying to soil my reputation? Just because you're a freak now does not mean you should try to pull me down with you."

"I'm being serious," he insisted. He brought his voice low to where Magdalena couldn't hear him. "She's going to follow us around all week, Suze. You might not mind having another tag-along pal, but this could get annoying really fast."

"I think she's adorable," I told him, "And besides, the faster we figure this out, the faster she's gone. If we do our job correctly, she'll be resting in peace by the end of the week."

"If we do our job correctly, she'll be gone instantly," Paul corrected me.

"Whatever," I brushed him off as I threw a glance at little Maggie who was trying to see her reflection in the water. But she couldn't. Because she was dead.

"Look, Suze," Paul said with an exasperated sigh. "I didn't come here to play babysitter. We could save a lot of time if we just…"

"No," I told him flat-out. "No way. No shifting, no exorcisms, none of that. We're doing it the good old-fashioned way. Learn to deal."

"Fine," he said in a smug tone, "but when your old-fashioned way fails, mine's going to back it up."

Okay, he totally just pushed it. Was he implying that my way would fail? It's worked for me for sixteen years, thank-you-very-much, and I've never had a problem with it. Sure I ended up with a few scars in the end, but nothing that a few stitches or a cast wouldn't heal.

"Don't be so cocky, Slater," I growled at him, "Because my way's going work…just you wait and see."

Magdalena was, by then, bored of the fountain. She got up, pranced over to us, and smiled brightly. Her big brown eyes were gleaming in the sun. She tugged on my skirt and begged, "Please play with me, Susannah."

"She can't right now," Paul chimed in, "We're trying to figure out how to get you where you belong."

Magdalena's face instantly twisted from a look of innocent joy to a face filled with annoyance and anger directed at Paul. She let out this terrible shriek and with one swift movement, Paul ended up flying into the fountain with an incredible splash.

My classmates quickly jumped and crowded around the fountain, snickering and high fiving each other. I pushed my way through to get a better look. Paul was just sat there, soaked thoroughly and looked up at me with this totally unreadable expression. Everyone looked at me in confusion and then started whispering that I had pushed him in.

"Way to go, Suze!" Adam cheered me on as he held my hand up in victory.

"I…I didn't push him in," I tried to defend myself. But it was no use…everyone was applauding me.

"No use trying to be humble," CeeCee said with a smile.

Well, it goes to show you how spirited our junior unity is. They were clapping because I supposedly threw one of my classmates in the fountain. How unified is that? It's sick, I tell you, sick.

I felt a little bad for Paul. I mean, everyone thought that a girl pushed him in the water. Well actually, now that I think about it, that was true. The ghost of a little ten-year-old girl pushed him. Which I guess is a little more pathetic. But I wasn't about to let Paul get totally humiliated, even if he did deserve it. I mean, I said I'd trust him (which I still don't) so I kind of have an obligation to him, right? Even though part of me wanted to leave him there to suffer the taunting of his fellow classmates, there was this other part of me that really felt kind of sorry for the guy.

I held my hand out to Paul and said, "I'm so sorry, Paul." He took it and stood up slowly and cautiously under the eyes of his fellow classmates. That gray button down shirt? Yeah, totally ruined now. But it's not like he looked like a wet rat coming out of that water. He shook the water out of his hair like some sort of beach god or something. Then he ran his hands through his now soaking wet curls, which gathered a sigh from Debbie and a few other girls…the brave ones. But even though Paul Slater was now one of the biggest weirdoes in school, he was still a hott weirdo. A hott weirdo that was soaking wet. Kill me now, please.

I helped him out of the fountain I supposedly pushed him in and looked around nervously for Magdalena, just in case she tried something else. But the little girl had disappeared like nothing had happened. But I figured it was only a matter of time before she would show up again…and I had a feeling she could do way worse than throwing my ghost-busting partner in some water. Way worse…

* * *

A/N: Sorry that took so long! But I haven't neglected ya'll yet. My creativity has been stifled in its summer days. I guess because I find school a more thought provoking place to write a story. Sad isn't it? I'd like to thank the people who are still reading this story and are willing to put up with the long pauses in between chapters. THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH I LOVE YA'LL FOREVER AND EVER AND EVER!!!! I know, how professional of me…but it just needs to be said.


	9. Oyster

A/N: I'm going to action-pack this fan-fic. Maybe not now, but certainly later!

Mystique Angelique: The characters aren't the only ones doing the rocking…you yourself rock! If you think you love Maggie now, just you wait. You may end up totally loving her in the end, or totally hating her…teehee. I doubt Esmerelda wouldn't throw Paulie in a fountain…but I could be underestimating her and her adorableness! I am updating now…

UnangelicHalo: Lolly is so fun to RP with! Ya'lls story is so cute, I can't wait to read more! Oh, and no worries about her being related to Jesse. One thing I can say…she so isn't. And I really didn't mean to push him into the fountain. Nothing against Paul…really. Love makes you do strange things sometimes.

Phylicia: Thank you so much for reading! Here's the next chappie!

Esodes08: I always enjoy your super long reviews! They totally brighten my day! And the convincing you tried on me? Good job! If I let Suze have Jesse, I can get Paulie to myself. But then again, I want him to be happy, you know, and he'd be way happier with Suze. BUT…I never said this was Suze/Paul…or Suze/Jesse either. Suze has this one problem…she always seems to follow her heart instead of her head. That gets her into trouble though. And Paul is an interesting character. Interesting indeed. MUAHAHAHA! And no, you aren't odd! You're Manda!

Mediatorgurl: Suze hasn't lost feelings for Paul. The thing is, she's letting her guard down. Paul, as it seems, is no longer much of a threat since she 'trusts' him. You can tell that Suze is still plagued by his hotness. His good looks and obvious charm, along with her guilt for thinking he is both of those things, are truly annoying her. Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

* * *

"Time for a little R&R, ladies," Adam said with a grin as we got off the bus. After such a long day touring the Mission, I felt I really could've used a little rest and relaxation, especially because of little Magdalena's hijinks. The whole fountain thing she pulled on Paul? I'll admit it was funny, but it kind of made me wonder…what other damage could this little girl do? She seemed innocuous enough, with her big brown eyes and her little lace gloves. But then again…you can't judge a book by its cover.

I really do need a break.

"Sounds good," I told him as I took in a whiff of fresh air, "What are we going to do, though?"

"It's perfect weather for swimming," CeeCee noticed as she looked to the sky at the late afternoon sun. "I wouldn't mind a little pool time."

It was a pretty nice day to kick back in the sun. The sky was a vibrant blue, and it was practically cloudless. It had to be an even ninety degrees out…hot enough but not scorching. I could use some work on my tan, which was slowly fading due to staying indoors for long periods of time. All I needed were some shades, a towel, my suit, and a Diet Coke…and paradise would be mine.

"I'm game," Adam proclaimed, "Two of my favorite ladies in swimwear? Like I'd ever pass on that!"

CeeCee and I elbowed Adam in the ribs. Adam's a hoot, I tell ya. He always made little jokes like that, hinted with innuendo, but they were always in good fun. I never felt harassed by him. But as for a certain other dangerous hottie who enjoyed luring innocent girls into his room with false promises? Well, you get what I'm saying.

CeeCee grinned at Adam and said, "You would pass on us for Lara Croft."

"Sadly, I chose to leave Tomb Raider at home," Adam wiped a fake tear from his eye. "So no Lara for me. But I've got two lovely replacements…"

Adam doubled over in pain when we elbowed his gut, throwing his arms off of us. CeeCee and I giggled and we began to run for our lives. Adam failed his attempts to catch up to us when we were able to ditch him at the elevator. The slow, creaky elevator, that stopped on every floor on the way up. When the elevator door finally opened, Adam was waiting right in front of it.

"Hello ladies," he said as he casually leaned his arm on the wall. CeeCee and I froze. He caught us. We looked to each other for a second, and then tore past him, running down the ugly, narrow hallways. He was gaining on us…terribly. CeeCee and I made a sharp turn that temporarily put him off our trail. We finally made it to our room. CeeCee fumbled with the keys as I kept screaming at her to hurry. He was coming closer and closer. I was jumping up and down nervously, because I had no idea what Adam might have done when he caught us.

Weird Al for hours on end? Yeah, not too appealing.

Finally CeeCee opened the door and we managed to slip in a slam it in his face. Adam knocked on the door and said, "Oh, come on, ladies. You know you want me!" CeeCee and I giggled as we locked the door. We gave each other a high five and got changed…all the while Adam kept spouting off funny, but incredibly nasty jokes. CeeCee and I could barely breathe we were laughing so hard. Then we heard Mrs. Tarentino jumping on Adam's case.

"Mr. McTavish! That is inappropriate and not to mention downright disgusting! Cut it out, or we shall have to send you home!"

That was too much. My sides were hurting from all the laughter. CeeCee had tears streaming down her face. Adam made a hasty apology and was silent afterwards. His silence caused fresh peals of laughter from the two of us. Adam grumbled a few curses at us through the door.

When we were finally looking hott enough to out-do the sun, we poked out of the door. Adam's jaw dropped in shock and awe. I must say…CeeCee and I were total babes in our new swimwear that we bought together at the mall the weekend before.

I know…I hate the mall. But shopping with CeeCee? Priceless! We had to have 'appropriate' swimwear which- bad news for Kelly- meant no bikinis. So CeeCee and I bought adorable tankinis. Hers was a really pretty dark blue covered in pale blue hibiscus flowers. Mine was just plain pink, with these totally cute boy-shorts with a belt on it.

With a tan, it'd look even better.

"Hey Adam," CeeCee said as she tossed her hair flirtatiously. Adam turned a dark red color, blushing. Blushing because CeeCee talked to him. And all she said was 'Hey Adam'. I grinned to myself evilly.

"Uh, you look-" Adam started, but then he stopped himself, saying, "I need to get my suit. I'll meet you two down there."

CeeCee and I both frowned in disappointment. That was it? No compliment? He didn't even crack a joke, for goodness sakes! Who took away our Adam? Was it…was it CeeCee? Was she suddenly making him…NERVOUS? This was just way too good. Adam began stumbling down the narrow hallway.

"Adam," CeeCee called after him, taking his wrist so he couldn't get away. Adam turned around for a moment, his eyes meeting with CeeCee's for a few seconds. My stomach started doing the butterfly thing. Then I realized it. I was just as nervous as CeeCee. In fact, I was nervous FOR her. I knew how much Adam meant to her, and just how much she was risking by making her move.

"Yes?" Adam asked with a hint of a smile playing on his lips.

"I'll…wait for you," CeeCee choked out. I silently sighed in relief as she said it. But then she added at the last moment, "Suze and I will wait for you."

Smooth move Ex-lax. Not.

The smile slid off of Adam's face slowly as he replied, "Sure…okay, yeah." He looked down at CeeCee's pale hand on his wrist. It made his skin look incredibly dark in comparison. CeeCee blushed and dropped her hand from his wrist as if he had some sick disease or something. We followed him to his hotel room, where he dropped us off, telling us he wouldn't be long.

"What," I hissed when Adam closed the door behind him, "was that all about?"

"What was what about?" CeeCee asked innocently, her violet eyes angelically wide.

"Oh, come on, CeeCee, you're not THAT blonde. You KNOW what I'm talking about."

"Actually," she corrected me, throwing her towel over her shoulder, "I don't."

"'Suze and I will wait for you'," I mimicked her, tossing my hair about just as she did. She scowled at me

"So?" CeeCee said as she crossed her arms and pouted.

"So…you're being blind, Cee," I told her. "You got it right the first time. Why wouldn't you just leave it at that?"

"I…I was scared," CeeCee admitted, "It's harder than you think, telling your best friend that you like them. It's scary."

"Don't be such a drama queen, Cee," I told her as I flashed her a smile, "He thinks you're gorgeous."

"He does not," she said, instantly turning red. She knew it was true. She just didn't want to admit it to me.

"No guy looks at a girl the way he just did and NOT think she's the most beautiful thing on two legs," I told her practically. She was turning purple, and her violet eyes were flashing. She wasn't wearing her glasses, so I could see them better.

"The thing is, Suze," she said as she leaned on the wall by Adam's door, "He means so much to me, you know? And if I showed him that, then things would get weird between us. You can't say it won't happen Suze. Because it will. We'll start getting more and more distant. We'll drift apart. Usually, you'd tell someone that to bring them closer, but in all actuality it doesn't. Don't you get it, Suze?"

"Not really," I replied boredly. I've heard this speech many times on those cheesy shows about high school and stuff. And even if CeeCee's was a bit more serious, it still sounded exactly the same to me.

"If I tell him," she whispered, "It will ruin our friendship. Kill it. Run it into the ground. Even if he does return those feelings, things will never EVER be the same. You and I both know it."

I didn't know what to say to her. I mean, I know how to deal with ornery ghosts, but I had no idea how to handle her Adam problem. First of all, I had never had a guy friend that I had known for that long. The closest guy friend I had right then was Jesse, and there was this whole thing where, you know, I love him to death. I guess I felt her pain when he kissed me the first time and then decided to be all distant and such. But in the end, it just repaired itself, you know? But how could I tell her that? Even though she was the smartest person that I had ever seen, I knew that she just wouldn't understand.

Well, okay, and then there was Paul. I never really considered him a friend or anything, but ever since I told him that I trusted him (even if I may have told him that just to get him off my back), my attitude towards him had been changing. I no longer associated fear with Paul. Now, it was mostly annoyance. Oh, and the whole thinking he's hott thing. Which is totally normal. Any girl with two eyes would agree with me.

Wait, how did I get off topic? Rewind. If CeeCee wanted to go out with Adam, she had to make it work by itself. She couldn't try to plan it out or calculate it, as she did with everything else. She just had to go with the flow.

I didn't have much of a chance to voice my thoughts to her, anyway, because the next thing you know, the door to Adam's room opened. But it wasn't Adam that casually glided out of the door…it was Paul. Stupid, stupid Paul.

He had had a costume change from his soaked clothes into- you guessed it- full on swimwear. You know, just some navy blue baggy board shorts. And practically nothing else, besides his towel that was flung casually over his shoulder and this matching button down shirt that he left unbuttoned, showing just a bit of his washboard abs. Not that I was looking or anything.

Okay, fine. I was looking, so sue me. But I wasn't the only one. I caught CeeCee trying to catch a peek at what was going on underneath his shirt too. What can I say? Paul's a hottie with a body. Just, you know, a body that can get me into some major trouble.

I noticed that his curly hair was still damp from earlier in the day, when Magdalena had thrown him into the fountain. It made his brown hair even darker, almost black even. You could barely see the natural blonde highlights that usually peeked from his hair like a crown. The darkness of his shirt, board shorts, and hair all brought out the brightness in his light blue eyes.

"To what do I owe this pleasure, ladies?" Paul purred, glancing at both CeeCee and I in our chic swimwear. I could feel those stunning blues as they scanned over me…like a sudden wave flushing over me. I knew CeeCee felt something too because I saw her heave a shudder and let out a small sigh.

There is no hope for womankind. Even CeeCee, who was so devoted to Adam McTavish, her best friend and love of her life, was melting into a puddle just at the sight of Paul in a swimsuit. We're all doomed.

"We're waiting on Adam," I replied flatly, avoiding Paul's gaze that was directed right at me. I kept telling myself that I was not affected by Paul's charms. They were annoying and frustrating. Maybe if I repeated that to myself a few times, I might have actually believed it.

"Isn't it just like him to leave a couple of fine looking girls waiting?" Paul asked, shaking his head, a light grin playing on his lips. "He said he shouldn't be long, but I can tell him to hurry up if you want."

"Thanks for the offer Paul," I said as I placed a hand on my hip cooly, "but that won't be necessary. CeeCee and I were just planning to go down there and meet him there. Weren't we, CEECEE."

CeeCee continued to gawk at Paul as he swiped some Ray Bans from the pocket of his boardies and put them on. She seemed dazed, almost as if she were in some sort of trance as she lowered her gaze. "Abs…"

"…solutely. ABSolutely. You know CeeCee, Paul's not too quick with Californian abbreviations. He is the new kid, after all."

I elbowed CeeCee, which caused her wrench her eyes from Paul's abdominal muscles long enough to give me a cold glare. I reciprocated the look, motioning to her to get a move on. When she didn't move, I grabbed her arm and pulled her down the hall with me.

Just then, we were stopped by Paul, who called, "Suze, wait…"

"What?" I snapped, still not letting go of CeeCee's arm. Paul glided down the hallway towards us, walking with a casual air that hinted of confidence. When he finally reached me, he held out a towel to me. It was my towel, I realized. The one I could have sworn was hanging about my neck only a moment ago. Only now, Paul was draping it around my shoulders. He pulled me closer to him with the ends of the towel as he said in a low voice, "You forgot something."

I couldn't help but gulp as he pushed his glasses down the bridge of his nose, exposing his wild eyes which were leering at me above the rims of his Ray Bans. As quick as this gesture was over, he gaited back down the hallway, turning back once more to shoot me a wide, toothy smile that sent a million bolts of electricity soaring into me.

I turned back to CeeCee, who had her arms crossed in front of her chest. "What's the matter with you?" she asked. "A hott guy was just scoping you out, and you barely give him the time of day?"

"Paul Slater was NOT scoping me out. He just does that sometimes," I told her, once again grabbing her arm and pulling her down the hall. This time, she put her foot down.

"He's totally trying to charm you," she said. "I'm not blind, Suze. I work for the school paper, for Pete's sake. I see everything."

"What you don't see, Cee, is that Paul is in no way charming. You may be able to see…but you have no idea of actually _knowing_."

As I said that, the memory of the time I went over to Paul's house flashed right before my eyes. There was nothing charming about him when he dissed my boyfriend and then had the audacity to kiss me. Sure, he may have been smooth and his kisses may have been, well, enjoyable…but that certainly did not make him delightful to be around.

In fact, every time he was around I had this terrible feeling in my gut. One that no matter what he said to me, it would never go away. Even something as seemingly innocent as 'You forgot something'. It just felt as if someone put a belt on my stomach and tightened it too tightly.

CeeCee had no idea just exactly who Paul was, besides the interesting new guy who was bold enough to try to steal my VP position, tell off a novice, and diss Kelly all in the short amount time he's been at JSMA. And after pulling all of that, he only got off with a week suspension. He not only left his mark on the school, but also an impression on his classmates.

You see, the popular folk are the only ones who saw Paul as a freak. Because they were the only ones at Dopey's party that fateful Friday. The other, less popular people? They saw him as a hero among their kind. But they so desperately wanted to be the type of person that DID get invited to these crazy keggers, so they followed the model of Kelly and her posse, by shunning Paul, though they had no idea why. They just heard rumors that were FAR from the truth.

CeeCee never really cared what the populars thought. That's why she wasn't afraid to drool over Paul.

I, however, was. And not because I was afraid for my social standing at school. I was scared of the fact that drooling over Paul would go against everything I knew. Everything that I thought was right…

"Suze. It's a hot guy in a swimsuit. I'm not going to marry him or anything," CeeCee told me, rolling her eyes.

"Darn straight. Because you are going to be the future Mrs. McTavish," I grinned, bypassing her. She scoffed at me and jogged to catch up with me, shouting, "Am NOT!"

"Are too."

CeeCee and I stopped dead in our tracks. Because it wasn't me that said that. It was Adam, who had finally made his way out of the room while we were chatting in the hallway. We slowly turned to face him as he breezed on over to us in his swimwear with his towel dragging on the floor. I noticed in the corner of my eye, that CeeCee turned this deep shade of purple.

"Whoa, what'd I miss? I was just kidding. I really had no idea what you were talking about," Adam said as he hiked up an eyebrow curiously. CeeCee and I breathed a silent sigh of relief.

"Suze called me blonde," CeeCee said as she shot me a nervous smile.

"Blondes have more fun," Adam said with a wink at CeeCee. CeeCee giggled as he linked arms with the two of us and we began walking down the stairs to the pool. We decided to pass up the elevator since, in all reality, it was much faster to go down the stairs.

"Now I know just how Archie must feel. I've got my very own Betty and Veronica right here," Adam said with a smile. CeeCee and I shook our heads at him.

It was good to know that, despite the mess that awaited me at the San Juan Capistrano mission, I still had my support system with me. The two people that turn my trip from bad to extremely fun in a matter of minutes. My best friends.

Even though my eyes were closed, I could still tell that it was very bright outside. The chlorinated water was cool, however, and I was pretty glad that CeeCee and Adam made me get in the water after all. The one bad thing about the swimming, besides the fact that my hair afterwards would be a frizzy mess? The fact that Adam and CeeCee were making me play 'Marco, Polo' with them.

And because I put up such a fight, they made me be 'it' first. So I closed my eyes reluctantly and began feeling my way through the water while I said "Marco" rather unenthusiastically. Among Adam and CeeCee's shouts of "Polo!" I also heard the splashing of other children that were hitting each other with their floaties. But no matter what, I could not catch them. Obviously they were seasoned pros at this game.

"Marco," I sighed, stretching my arms out in front of me. I figured that maybe I might hit someone or something if I had my arms out. Over in the distance, I heard Adam and CeeCee yell, "Polo!" I made my way over to where I thought I heard it coming from, with no avail.

Then someone whispered in my ear, "Polo…"

I could feel breath tickling my ear. The smell of chlorine was masked by the faint smell of some very nice cologne, obviously put on earlier that day. I mean, no one puts cologne on before swimming, do they?

I turned around and felt around until I could tag the person. When my fingertips came in contact with flesh, I opened my eyes and yelled, "You're it!"

Only then, did I notice that I just tagged Paul. I jerked my hands from his chest, which was coincidentally the place I had tagged him. Stupid wandering hands…

Paul grinned down at me, his eyes fixating me with dark amusement. I tried to look away, but Paul was so close to me that he blocked my vision. The only choice I had was to look down…

…at a totally ripped six-pack, glistening wet from the water. I bit my tongue and jammed my eyes shut, and counting to ten. My counselor back in New York told me that that would calm me down. Only, she meant for me to use that in cases when my temper got the best of me. It wasn't necessarily my temper that was going haywire. It was my entire nervous system.

"I'm going to get a drink, you guys," I told Adam and CeeCee without even looking at them. I trained my eyes to look past Paul, instead looking at the shiny metal ladder…my exit. "Paul's it. He'll fill in for me."

Then, with as much inner strength as I could muster, I swam over to the side of the pool with the ladder and got out, aware that the whole time I was being watched. I glanced at Paul nervously as I grabbed my towel from one of the chairs and wrapped it around me tightly. And still, the whole time, Paul had his bright blue eyes fixed on me. Even when my back was turned to him, I could feel his gaze burning through me like a laser.

It wasn't that much cooler in the shade, but I still felt myself shivering. More than anything, I wanted some sense of knowing in my life. I wanted the one thing that would always stay the same in my life, no matter what.

Jesse.

As I was walking to the soda machine, someone pulled me into this little alley-thing that had a few trashcans in it. I couldn't very well scream, because whoever it was had a firm grip over my mouth. I made a few loud noises and struggled as best as I could, but the person had such a strong grip on me.

"Relax, _querida_," I heard Jesse whisper into my ear, "it's just me."

Jesse loosened his grip and I stopped struggling. I turned around, and when I finally saw that it was in fact him, I had to fight my urges to jump on him right then and there. Instead, I breathed a sigh of relief and placed my hand over chest. "God, Jesse," I said, "you really scared me there."

"I apologize, Susannah, but I figured that since you called me-"

Uh, no I didn't. I never called him. Sometimes I would think about calling him or just him in general, and he'd just pop up, claiming that I did. Not that I wasn't glad to see him. I was…I really was.

"It's all right, Jesse," I cut him off with a smile. "I, um, just wanted to see how you were doing. I guess I got kind of lonely."

"Lonely?" Jesse asked, touching my bare arm with his hand. "Where are Adam and CeeCee? They attended this trip also, correct?"

"They're playing Marco Polo with Pa-tricia. Patricia. Yup."

Close one.

Jesse raised his scarred eyebrow at me. "What is…Marco Polo?" Jesse asked, his accent smoothly gliding over the words 'Marco Polo'.

"It's a game," I told him, launching into babble-mode. "You know, where you're in a swimming pool and then the person who is 'it' closes their eyes and calls out 'Marco' and the others have shout 'Polo' back at them, and the 'it' person must find them and tag them. It's not very fun with three people, but…"

I trailed off when I noticed Jesse stepping closer to me, a warm smile on his lips. I held my towel closer to me self-consciously, trying to smile back without melting into a puddle of goo. Jesse pulled me closer to him with the hand he had on my arm and he propped his chin on my head, holding me in his warm embrace.

Jesse's arms. The only place I knew I was safe. The only place that, no matter how many guys I've seen in swimwear, will still make me feel the same comfort and warmth as ever. Everything in my mind suddenly melted away like sugar in water. I never wanted Jesse to let me go.

"I miss you," I whispered into Jesse's shoulder. Jesse stepped back, still holding onto my arms, and gazed into my eyes with his own black, liquidy eyes. Most people say, when they look into their lover's eyes, that they lose themselves in them. But I say just the opposite…I find myself in Jesse's eyes. I was lost in a confusing mess, but now I'm returned to my safe haven.

Jesse didn't even have to reply to me. It was enough to tell by the way he was looking at me that he really did miss me. And If I hadn't picked up on that hint, then I certainly would have when he leaned in and kissed me.

The third ever kiss that Jesse had given me. And it was perfect in every, single way. From the way he kissed with a great sense of possession, the softness of his lips on mine, to the way his fingers were tracing circles on my back. It was slow and steady, each movement causing a dizzy rush of emotion and passion. But at the same time I felt warm, happy, and most of all, loved.

No one witnessed anything. And if they did, then I really didn't care. Because in that moment, Jesse was the only person in this world that I cared about. It was just the two of us.

The world is my oyster, and Jesse is my pearl.

* * *

A/N: Hey! Sorry about not updating in FOREVER! The whole summer I just could not think of anything for Maggie, mostly because it was about a school trip. I think school actually has a purpose…it inspires me to write. I figure, since I' am now officially a junior, I can use that to feed off of the junior unity theme, and since I actually have daily classes with people, I can more readily observe people. Seriously…only now did I really get inspiration to finish this chapter. I'd been working on it on and off for 2 months. TWO MONTHS.

I know you guys are probably really mad at me for waiting that long. But I tried to make it worth it for ya'll. Was it? Tell me in your review. I will certainly try to update more when I find the time. I have band rehearsal everyday after school plus homework AND football games to march at on Fridays. Way to have a life…not.

You guys ROCK! I love you all in totally non gay ways! Ya'll are totally my inspiration besides school!


End file.
